taa1 mun4牠們它们
Jyutpingtaa1 mun4
Yaletā mùhn
Definition
They or them; the third-person plural pronoun used for animals in written Chinese.
colloquialanimalspeople
How it's used
Cantonese speakers do not distinguish between humans and animals when using third person plural pronouns. Using 牠們 in speech sounds unnatural and overly formal, as if reading directly from a textbook. Always use 佢哋 regardless of whether you are referring to people, animals, or even inanimate objects.
Related words
Common phrases
all of them
Common mistake
Avoid using 牠們 in spoken Cantonese, as it is a written-only form borrowed from Mandarin grammar. Learners often try to apply gender or species distinctions that simply do not exist in the Cantonese pronoun system.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
