For autodidact students of Mandarin, the pronoun 她 (tā) — "she/her" — is identical in pronunciation to 他 (tā, he/him, Lesson 16). The distinction between the masculine and feminine third-person pronouns exists only in writing — a fact that makes Chinese fundamentally different from European languages, where gender is audible. In speech, a Chinese listener relies entirely on context to determine whether the speaker means "he" or "she." There is no ambiguity in practice, because context almost always makes the referent clear.
The character 她 was created in 1917 by the linguist Liu Bannong, modelled on the English distinction between "he" and "she." Before that, 他 served for all genders. The feminine-specific 她 was a deliberate modernisation — an import from Western grammar into Chinese writing. Many Chinese speakers and scholars have debated whether the distinction is necessary, since the spoken language never needed it.
Key Takeaways: - 她 (tā) = she/her — written Chinese only; identical pronunciation to 他 - 她的 (tā de) = her/hers — possessive, identical in sound to 他的 (his) - In speech, 他 and 她 are indistinguishable — context resolves gender - 她 was invented in 1917; before that, 他 covered all genders - 它 (tā) = it — for non-human referents; also pronounced identically
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她 is composed of 女 (nǚ, woman) on the left and 也 (yě, also) on the right — the same phonetic component as 他 (which has 亻, the person radical, on the left). The visual distinction is clear: 亻(person) → 他 (he); 女 (woman) → 她 (she). The radical tells you the gender; the pronunciation tells you nothing.
The woman radical 女 appears in dozens of characters, many reflecting ancient patriarchal attitudes embedded in the script: 妈 (mā, mother), 姐 (jiě, older sister), 妹 (mèi, younger sister), 好 (hǎo, good — a woman 女 + a child 子), 婚 (hūn, marriage). Learning 女 as a radical gives access to this cluster.
The creation of 她 is a remarkable case of deliberate script engineering. Liu Bannong proposed it in a 1917 article arguing that Chinese needed a written gender distinction for modern literature and translation. The proposal was controversial — opponents argued that spoken Chinese had never needed one — but it was adopted and is now standard.
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34.1a 她 she 是 is 我 my 的 DE 同事 colleague
34.1b (tā) she (shì) is (wǒ) my (de) DE (tóngshì) colleague
34.2a 你 you 认识 know-ACQUAINT 她 her 吗 Q ？
34.2b (nǐ) you (rènshi) know-ACQUAINT (tā) her (ma) Q?
34.3a 她的 her 声音 voice 很 very 温柔 gentle
34.3b (tā de) her (shēngyīn) voice (hěn) very (wēnróu) gentle
34.4a 我 I 给 to 她 her 打了 made 一个 one-CL 电话 phone-call
34.4b (wǒ) I (gěi) to (tā) her (dǎ le) made (yī gè) one-CL (diànhuà) phone-call
34.5a 她 she 从 from 小 childhood 就 then 喜欢 liked 音乐 music
34.5b (tā) she (cóng) from (xiǎo) childhood (jiù) then (xǐhuan) liked (yīnyuè) music
34.6a 大家 everyone 都 all 很 very 尊敬 respect 她 her
34.6b (dàjiā) everyone (dōu) all (hěn) very (zūnjìng) respect (tā) her
34.7a 她 she 一个人 alone 去 went 了 PERF 欧洲 Europe 旅行 travel
34.7b (tā) she (yī gè rén) alone (qù) went (le) PERF (Ōuzhōu) Europe (lǚxíng) travel
34.8a 他 he 和 and 她 she 是 are 中学 middle-school 同学 classmates
34.8b (tā) he (hé) and (tā) she (shì) are (zhōngxué) middle-school (tóngxué) classmates
34.9a 她 she 比 than 我 me 大 older 两岁 two-years
34.9b (tā) she (bǐ) than (wǒ) me (dà) older (liǎng suì) two-years
34.10a 请 please 告诉 tell 她 her ， , 明天 tomorrow 开会 have-meeting
34.10b (qǐng) please (gàosu) tell (tā) her (míngtiān) tomorrow (kāi huì) have-meeting
34.11a 她 she 说 said 她 she 不 not 来 come 了 PERF
34.11b (tā) she (shuō) said (tā) she (bù) not (lái) come (le) PERF
34.12a 她的 her 决定 decision 影响 influenced 了 PERF 所有人 everyone
34.12b (tā de) her (juédìng) decision (yǐngxiǎng) influenced (le) PERF (suǒyǒu rén) everyone
34.13a 我 I 很 very 佩服 admire 她 her 的 DE 勇气 courage
34.13b (wǒ) I (hěn) very (pèifu) admire (tā) her (de) DE (yǒngqì) courage
34.14a 她 she 写 wrote 了 PERF 一封 one-CL 长 long 信 letter 给 to 父母 parents
34.14b (tā) she (xiě) wrote (le) PERF (yī fēng) one-CL (cháng) long (xìn) letter (gěi) to (fùmǔ) parents
34.15a 如果 if 不是 not-is 她 she ， , 我们 we 不会 would-not 走 walk 到 to 今天 today
34.15b (rúguǒ) if (bùshì) not-is (tā) she (wǒmen) we (bù huì) would-not (zǒu) walk (dào) to (jīntiān) today
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34.1 她是我的同事。 "She is my colleague."
34.2 你认识她吗？ "Do you know her?"
34.3 她的声音很温柔。 "Her voice is very gentle."
34.4 我给她打了一个电话。 "I made a phone call to her."
34.5 她从小就喜欢音乐。 "She has liked music since she was a child."
34.6 大家都很尊敬她。 "Everyone greatly respects her."
34.7 她一个人去了欧洲旅行。 "She went travelling in Europe alone."
34.8 他和她是中学同学。 "He and she were middle-school classmates."
34.9 她比我大两岁。 "She is two years older than me."
34.10 请告诉她，明天开会。 "Please tell her there is a meeting tomorrow."
34.11 她说她不来了。 "She said she isn't coming."
34.12 她的决定影响了所有人。 "Her decision influenced everyone."
34.13 我很佩服她的勇气。 "I greatly admire her courage."
34.14 她写了一封长信给父母。 "She wrote a long letter to her parents."
34.15 如果不是她，我们不会走到今天。 "If not for her, we would not have made it to where we are today."
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34.1 她是我的同事。 34.2 你认识她吗？ 34.3 她的声音很温柔。 34.4 我给她打了一个电话。 34.5 她从小就喜欢音乐。 34.6 大家都很尊敬她。 34.7 她一个人去了欧洲旅行。 34.8 他和她是中学同学。 34.9 她比我大两岁。 34.10 请告诉她，明天开会。 34.11 她说她不来了。 34.12 她的决定影响了所有人。 34.13 我很佩服她的勇气。 34.14 她写了一封长信给父母。 34.15 如果不是她，我们不会走到今天。
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These are the grammar rules for 她 (tā) — "she/her":
Identical pronunciation, different characters: 他 (he), 她 (she), and 它 (it) are all pronounced tā — first tone, identical in every phonetic respect. The distinction is visible in writing only. In speech: 他很高兴 and 她很高兴 sound identical; the listener uses context to determine whether "he" or "she" is meant.
Same syntax as 他: Every grammatical pattern that applies to 他 applies identically to 她. Subject: 她是老师 (She is a teacher). Object: 我认识她 (I know her). Possessive: 她的书 (Her book). No case change, no inflection. The pronouns are perfectly parallel.
比 (bǐ) — comparative structure: Example 34.9 introduces the comparative: 她比我大两岁 (She is two years older than me). The structure: A + 比 + B + adjective (+ quantity). 比 means "compared to" and always precedes the standard of comparison: 他比我高 (He is taller than me), 今天比昨天冷 (Today is colder than yesterday). The quantity of difference goes after the adjective: 大两岁 (older by two years), 高十厘米 (taller by ten centimetres).
给 (gěi) as indirect object marker: 我给她打了电话 (I to her made a phone call). 给 introduces the recipient of an action and comes BEFORE the verb. Also: 她写了一封信给父母 (She wrote a letter to her parents) — here 给 comes after the verb, introducing the destination. Both positions are grammatically correct; the pre-verbal position is more common in northern speech.
如果不是她 (rúguǒ bùshì tā) — counterfactual: "If it were not for her." 如果 (if) + 不是 (were not) + 她 (her). This counterfactual construction is common in tribute and gratitude: 如果不是你 (If not for you), 如果不是那次机会 (If not for that opportunity). The second clause states what would not have happened: 我们不会走到今天 (We would not have come this far).
Common Mistakes: - Trying to hear the 他/她 distinction in speech — there is none; it exists only in writing - Using 她 for inanimate objects — use 它 instead - Overusing 她 in written Chinese where the referent is already clear — once established, Chinese often drops the pronoun entirely
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The invention of 她 in 1917 is inseparable from the May Fourth Movement — the intellectual revolution that sought to modernise Chinese language, literature, and society. Liu Bannong's proposal was part of a broader effort to make Chinese a language of modernity, capable of translating Western literature and expressing Western concepts of gender distinction. The character was controversial precisely because Chinese had functioned for thousands of years without it — the spoken language still does.
In contemporary usage, the 他/她 distinction is standard in all published writing. However, when the gender is unknown or deliberately unspecified, 他 remains the default. This has sparked debate among feminist linguists who note that the "generic" pronoun is visually masculine. Some modern writers use TA (in Latin letters) as a gender-neutral written pronoun.
The poem that introduced 她 to the Chinese public was Liu Bannong's own 《教我如何不想她》(Teach Me How Not to Think of Her, 1920) — one of the most famous modern Chinese poems, whose title was deliberately chosen to showcase the new character. The poem became a beloved song, and 她 entered the written language partly through its emotional power.
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刘半农 (Liú Bànnóng), 《教我如何不想她》— Teach Me How Not to Think of Her, 1920
The poem that introduced 她 to Chinese literature. Its title is the character's birth certificate.
天上飘着些微云，地上吹着些微风。啊！微风吹动了我的头发，教我如何不想她？
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
天上 (tiān shàng) sky-above 飘着 (piāo zhe) drifting-PROG 些 (xiē) some 微云 (wēi yún) light-clouds ，
地上 (dì shàng) ground-on 吹着 (chuī zhe) blowing-PROG 些 (xiē) some 微风 (wēi fēng) light-breeze 。
啊 (a) ah ！ 微风 (wēi fēng) light-breeze 吹动 (chuī dòng) blow-move 了 (le) PERF 我的 (wǒ de) my 头发 (tóufa) hair ，
教 (jiào) teach 我 (wǒ) me 如何 (rúhé) how 不 (bù) not 想 (xiǎng) think-of 她 (tā) her ？
F-B: Authentic Text with Translation
天上飘着些微云，地上吹着些微风。啊！微风吹动了我的头发，教我如何不想她？
"Some light clouds drift in the sky; some gentle wind blows on the ground. Ah! The breeze moves my hair — how can you teach me not to think of her?"
F-C: Authentic Text Only
天上飘着些微云，地上吹着些微风。啊！微风吹动了我的头发，教我如何不想她？
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
飘着 / 吹着 (piāo zhe / chuī zhe): both use 着 (zhe) — the marker of ongoing state. Clouds drifting, wind blowing — continuous background actions, setting the scene.
教我如何不想她 (jiào wǒ rúhé bù xiǎng tā): 教 (teach/make) + 我 (me) + 如何 (how, literary form of 怎么) + 不想她 (not think of her). The rhetorical question means: "nothing can teach me NOT to think of her" — i.e., I cannot stop thinking of her.
微 (wēi): "slight / gentle / subtle" — 微云 (wisps of cloud), 微风 (gentle breeze). The repetition of 微 in both lines creates a parallelism of delicacy — everything in this landscape is slight, except the feeling.
F-E: Literary Commentary
The final character of the poem — 她 — is the point of the entire work. Liu Bannong wrote a love poem whose culmination is a new character. Every image in the verse leads toward that final 她: clouds, wind, hair, and then — her. The character 她, appearing at the end, is both the object of longing and a declaration of linguistic revolution. Before this poem, she was 他 on the page; after it, she was herself. The lesson word 她 carries this history: it was born in a love poem, brought into existence by the impossibility of not thinking about someone.
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A daughter writes about her mother — from village girl to city worker to retired grandmother. 她 appears as subject, object, possessive, and in contrast with 他, building a portrait of a woman's life told through the pronoun that was invented the century before she was born.
34.16a 我 my 的 DE 母亲 mother ， , 她 she 从来 ever 不 not 说 say 自己 self 的 DE 故事 story
34.16b (wǒ) my (de) DE (mǔqīn) mother (tā) she (cónglái) ever (bù) not (shuō) say (zìjǐ) self (de) DE (gùshi) story
34.17a 她 she 十六岁 sixteen-years-old 离开 left 了 PERF 村子 village ， , 一个人 alone 去 went 了 PERF 城里 city-inside
34.17b (tā) she (shíliù suì) sixteen-years-old (líkāi) left (le) PERF (cūnzi) village (yī gè rén) alone (qù) went (le) PERF (chéng lǐ) city-inside
34.18a 她 she 在 at 工厂 factory 做工 worked ， , 每天 every-day 站 stood 十二 twelve 个 CL 小时 hours
34.18b (tā) she (zài) at (gōngchǎng) factory (zuò gōng) worked (měitiān) every-day (zhàn) stood (shí'èr) twelve (gè) CL (xiǎoshí) hours
34.19a 她 she 把 BA 工资 salary 寄 sent 回 back 家 home ， , 自己 self 只 only 留 kept 一点点 a-tiny-bit
34.19b (tā) she (bǎ) BA (gōngzī) salary (jì) sent (huí) back (jiā) home (zìjǐ) self (zhǐ) only (liú) kept (yī diǎndiǎn) a-tiny-bit
34.20a 后来 later 她 she 认识 met 了 PERF 我 my 父亲 father ， , 他 he 是 was 同一个 same-one-CL 工厂 factory 的 DE 工人 worker
34.20b (hòulái) later (tā) she (rènshi) met (le) PERF (wǒ) my (fùqin) father (tā) he (shì) was (tóng yī gè) same-one-CL (gōngchǎng) factory (de) DE (gōngrén) worker
34.21a 他 he 说 said 她 she 干活 worked 比 than 谁 anyone 都 all 认真 serious
34.21b (tā) he (shuō) said (tā) she (gàn huó) worked (bǐ) than (shéi) anyone (dōu) all (rènzhēn) serious
34.22a 她 she 从不 never 抱怨 complained ， , 也 also 从不 never 解释 explained
34.22b (tā) she (cóng bù) never (bàoyuàn) complained (yě) also (cóng bù) never (jiěshì) explained
34.23a 我 I 小时候 childhood 问 asked 她 her ： : "妈妈 mum ， , 你 you 为什么 why 不 not 读书 study ？"**
34.23b (wǒ) I (xiǎoshíhou) childhood (wèn) asked (tā) her (māma) mum (nǐ) you (wèishénme) why (bù) not (dú shū) study?
34.24a 她 she 笑了笑 smiled-briefly ： : "因为 because 把 BA 读书 studying 的 DE 机会 opportunity 留 left 给 for 了 PERF 你 you 。"
34.24b (tā) she (xiào le xiào) smiled-briefly (yīnwèi) because (bǎ) BA (dú shū) studying (de) DE (jīhuì) opportunity (liú) left (gěi) for (le) PERF (nǐ) you
34.25a 她 she 不 not 识 recognize 几个 several-CL 字 characters ， , 但 but 她 she 的 DE 道理 wisdom 比 than 书 books 多 more
34.25b (tā) she (bù) not (shí) recognize (jǐ gè) several-CL (zì) characters (dàn) but (tā) she (de) DE (dàolǐ) wisdom (bǐ) than (shū) books (duō) more
34.26a 她 she 说 says ： : "吃 eating 得 DE 了 able 苦 bitterness 的 DE 人 person ， , 世界 world 亏 cheat 不了 cannot 她 her 。"
34.26b (tā) she (shuō) says (chī) eating (de) DE (liǎo) able (kǔ) bitterness (de) DE (rén) person (shìjiè) world (kuī) cheat (bu liǎo) cannot (tā) her
34.27a 现在 now 她 she 退休 retired 了 PERF ， , 每天 every-day 在 at 公园 park 里 inside 跳 dance 广场舞 square-dance
34.27b (xiànzài) now (tā) she (tuìxiū) retired (le) PERF (měitiān) every-day (zài) at (gōngyuán) park (lǐ) inside (tiào) dance (guǎngchǎng wǔ) square-dance
34.28a 她 she 跳 dances 得 DE 不 not 好 well ， , 但 but 笑 laughs 得 DE 最 most 大声 loudly
34.28b (tā) she (tiào) dances (de) DE (bù) not (hǎo) well (dàn) but (xiào) laughs (de) DE (zuì) most (dà shēng) loudly
34.29a 有人 someone 问 asked 我 me ： : "你 you 最 most 佩服 admire 谁 who ？"**
34.29b (yǒu rén) someone (wèn) asked (wǒ) me (nǐ) you (zuì) most (pèifu) admire (shéi) who?
34.30a 我 I 说 said ： : "她 her 。 我 my 的 DE 母亲 mother 。 她 she 走过 walked-through 的 DE 路 road ， , 比 than 我 I 想象 imagine 的 DE 远 far 得多 much-more 。"
34.30b (wǒ) I (shuō) said (tā) her (wǒ) my (de) DE (mǔqīn) mother (tā) she (zǒu guò) walked-through (de) DE (lù) road (bǐ) than (wǒ) I (xiǎngxiàng) imagine (de) DE (yuǎn) far (de duō) much-more
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34.16 我的母亲，她从来不说自己的故事。 "My mother — she never tells her own story."
34.17 她十六岁离开了村子，一个人去了城里。 "She left the village at sixteen and went to the city alone."
34.18 她在工厂做工，每天站十二个小时。 "She worked in a factory, standing twelve hours a day."
34.19 她把工资寄回家，自己只留一点点。 "She sent her wages home and kept only a tiny bit for herself."
34.20 后来她认识了我父亲，他是同一个工厂的工人。 "Later she met my father — he was a worker in the same factory."
34.21 他说她干活比谁都认真。 "He said she worked more seriously than anyone."
34.22 她从不抱怨，也从不解释。 "She never complained and never explained."
34.23 我小时候问她："妈妈，你为什么不读书？" "When I was a child I asked her: 'Mum, why didn't you study?'"
34.24 她笑了笑："因为把读书的机会留给了你。" "She smiled briefly: 'Because I saved the chance to study for you.'"
34.25 她不识几个字，但她的道理比书多。 "She barely knows a few characters, but her wisdom exceeds that of books."
34.26 她说："吃得了苦的人，世界亏不了她。" "She says: 'A person who can endure bitterness — the world cannot cheat her.'"
34.27 现在她退休了，每天在公园里跳广场舞。 "Now she is retired, dancing square dance in the park every day."
34.28 她跳得不好，但笑得最大声。 "She doesn't dance well, but she laughs the loudest."
34.29 有人问我："你最佩服谁？" "Someone asked me: 'Who do you most admire?'"
34.30 我说："她。我的母亲。她走过的路，比我想象的远得多。" "I said: 'Her. My mother. The road she has walked is far longer than I could imagine.'"
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34.16 我的母亲，她从来不说自己的故事。 34.17 她十六岁离开了村子，一个人去了城里。 34.18 她在工厂做工，每天站十二个小时。 34.19 她把工资寄回家，自己只留一点点。 34.20 后来她认识了我父亲，他是同一个工厂的工人。 34.21 他说她干活比谁都认真。 34.22 她从不抱怨，也从不解释。 34.23 我小时候问她："妈妈，你为什么不读书？" 34.24 她笑了笑："因为把读书的机会留给了你。" 34.25 她不识几个字，但她的道理比书多。 34.26 她说："吃得了苦的人，世界亏不了她。" 34.27 现在她退休了，每天在公园里跳广场舞。 34.28 她跳得不好，但笑得最大声。 34.29 有人问我："你最佩服谁？" 34.30 我说："她。我的母亲。她走过的路，比我想象的远得多。"
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吃得了苦 (chī de liǎo kǔ): "can endure bitterness" — 吃 (eat) + 得了 (able to — potential complement) + 苦 (bitterness/hardship). 得了 (de liǎo) after a verb means "able to, capable of completing." The negative: 吃不了苦 (cannot endure hardship). 吃苦 (eat bitterness) is a fixed expression meaning "to endure hardship" — one of Chinese culture's cardinal virtues.
亏不了她 (kuī bu liǎo tā): "cannot cheat her" — 亏 (cheat/shortchange) + 不了 (not able to) + 她 (her). The potential complement 不了 marks impossibility: the world is unable to cheat a person who can endure. This colloquial construction — verb + 不了 + object — is very common: 忘不了 (cannot forget), 做不了 (cannot do).
把…留给了… (bǎ…liú gěi le…): "saved [something] for [someone]" — the 把 construction (moving the object before the verb for disposal or directed action) + 留 (keep/save) + 给 (for) + 了 (PERF). 把读书的机会留给了你 = took the opportunity to study and saved it for you. The 把 marks that something was deliberately handled — in this case, an opportunity deliberately transferred.
比…远得多 (bǐ…yuǎn de duō): "far longer/further than…" — the comparative 比 (than) + adjective + 得多 (by much). 远得多 = further by a great deal. 得多 is a fixed degree complement that can be added to any adjective in a 比 comparison: 好得多 (much better), 难得多 (much harder), 大得多 (much bigger).
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她 (tā) — IPA: /tʰa˥/ — First tone, high and level.
The pronunciation is absolutely identical to 他 (he) and 它 (it): same initial consonant [tʰ], same vowel [a], same first tone. There is no phonetic distinction whatsoever between the three. Only the written character differs.
- t: aspirated alveolar stop [tʰ] — with a puff of breath (not the unaspirated [t] of 大 dà or 得 dé) - ā: open low vowel [a], held at a high, steady pitch throughout the first tone
A common learner error is to try to pronounce 她 differently from 他 — perhaps with a higher pitch or softer onset. This is incorrect. Native speakers make no phonetic distinction; the context does all the work.
她的 (tā de): first tone + neutral tone — exactly the same as 他的 (his). The 的 is unstressed [də].
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