别人/別人 biérén — other people, others; somebody else

Meanings

1. 1

   other people, others; somebody else

   Everyone who is not the person under discussion. It is already plural in sense, so it never takes 们, and it stands in direct contrast to 自己.

   pronoun

Character breakdown

• 人

  rén (second tone, rising)

  person, human being; people

  2 strokesRadical 人

Example sentences

• 这不是我的，是别人的。/這不是我的，是別人的。Zhè (fourth tone, falling) bú (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) de, (neutral tone) shì (fourth tone, falling) biérén (second tone, rising) de. (neutral tone)···

  This isn’t mine — it belongs to somebody else.

• 别人都走了，只有他还在。/別人都走了，只有他還在。Biérén (second tone, rising) dōu (first tone, high and level) zǒu (third tone, dipping) le, (neutral tone) zhǐyǒu (third tone, dipping) tā (first tone, high and level) hái (second tone, rising) zài. (fourth tone, falling)···

  Everyone else has left; only he is still here.

Common mistakes

• Not quite我要问别人们。

  Correct我要问别人。

  别人 is plural in itself and never takes 们. The same is true of 大家 — Chinese marks the plural once or not at all.

Similar words

Words containing 人

• 人rén (second tone, rising)person, people
• 有人yǒu (third tone, dipping) rén (second tone, rising)someone
• 人们/人們rén (second tone, rising) men (neutral tone)people
• 女人nǚrén (third tone, dipping)woman, adult female
• 人员/人員rén (second tone, rising) yuán (second tone, rising)staff
• 男人nánrén (second tone, rising)man, adult male
• 人生rén (second tone, rising) shēng (first tone, high and level)life (one's time on earth)
• 人民rén (second tone, rising) mín (second tone, rising)the people
• 人类/人類rén (second tone, rising) lèi (fourth tone, falling)humanity
• 个人/個人gèrén (fourth tone, falling)individual, oneself (as opposed to the group); personal
• 病人bìng (fourth tone, falling) rén (second tone, rising)sick person
• 人物rén (second tone, rising) wù (fourth tone, falling)person
• 家人jiā (first tone, high and level) rén (second tone, rising)family member
• 敌人/敵人dí (second tone, rising) rén (second tone, rising)enemy
• 人家rén (second tone, rising) jia (neutral tone)other people
• 人士rén (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling)person
• 客人kèrén (fourth tone, falling)guest, visitor; customer