HSK Guide

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

biérén (second tone, rising)bie2ren2

Traditional: 別人

other people, others; somebody else

HSK 3· HSK 1–4 (classic)Level 3· Three-band, nine-level standardpronoun
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Meanings

  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