taa1它
Jyutpingtaa1
Yaletā
Definition
It; the third-person singular pronoun for plants and inanimate objects in written Chinese.
writtencommunication
How it's used
Cantonese speakers use 佢 for everything, including people, animals, and inanimate objects. Using 它 in spoken Cantonese sounds unnatural and overly formal, as if reading directly from a textbook or a written document. Stick to 佢 to sound like a local.
Related words
Common phrases
they
Common mistake
Learners often try to use 它 because they see it in written Chinese, but it is never used in natural spoken Cantonese. Using it will make your speech sound stiff and foreign.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
