咱

• 拼音: zán
• 汉字拆解: 咱 = 口 (mouth) + 自 (self), suggesting speech about oneself and one's group

含义

We; us. An informal pronoun that includes both the speaker and listener.

A colloquial, northern Chinese pronoun meaning 'we' that explicitly includes the listener. More casual than 我们. Often heard in Beijing dialect and northern Mandarin. In some dialects, 咱 can also mean 'I' in very casual speech. The full form 咱们 is more common in standard speech.

例句

1. 咱走吧，别等了。
2. 咱是好朋友，不用客气。
3. 这件事咱以后再说。

用法指南

语境: conversation, friends, family

语气: casual

正确说法

• 咱去吃饭吧。(Let's go eat.)
• 咱别生气了。(Let's not be angry anymore.)

错误说法

• 咱请您帮忙。(Don't mix the casual 咱 with the very formal 您 — it sounds mismatched. Use 我们 with 您.)

起源与历史

Likely a contraction of 自家 (one's own family/group), evolving into a first-person inclusive pronoun in northern dialects.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal