它

• 拼音: tā
• 汉字拆解: 它 = 宀 (roof) + lower component, originally pictograph of a snake; now used as the pronoun 'it'

含义

It. A third-person pronoun for animals and inanimate objects.

Used exclusively for animals and things, never for people. Chinese has three third-person singular pronouns that sound identical (tā) but are written differently: 他 (he), 她 (she), and 它 (it). In spoken Chinese there is no distinction, but in writing the correct character must be used.

例句

1. 这只猫很可爱，它叫小白。
2. 这本书很好，你应该读读它。
3. 这台电脑太旧了，它经常出问题。

用法指南

语境: everyday conversation, describing things, animals

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 我很喜欢这个地方，它很安静。(I really like this place, it is very quiet.)
• 这条狗丢了，我们要找到它。(This dog is lost, we need to find it.)

错误说法

• 不要用它来指人 (Don't use 它 to refer to people — 它 is only for animals and things; use 他 for males and 她 for females)

起源与历史

宀 (roof) + a lower stroke. Originally meant 'snake' in ancient Chinese. It was later repurposed as the pronoun 'it' to distinguish non-human referents from 他 (he) and 她 (she).

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal