我 / 你 / 他 / 她 / 它【wǒ / nǐ / tā / tā / tā】

Chinese has one form per person and uses it for subject and object alike. 我 is "I" and also "me"; 他 is "he" and also "him".

Nothing changes shape. Where English swaps I/me, he/him, she/her, Chinese keeps the same character in both slots.

他, 她 and 它 sound identical

All three are tā. The distinction is written only: 他 for a man, 她 for a woman, 它 for a thing or an animal. In speech there is no way to tell them apart, and listeners rely on context.

它 is used much less than English "it". A Chinese sentence usually drops the pronoun instead: 好吃吗？– 很好吃。

您 is the polite 你

One syllable, nín, for a customer, an older person, a teacher. It has no ordinary plural – for a group, 你们 is the polite form too.

Plurals add 们

我们, 你们, 他们. A mixed group of men and women takes 他们.

咱们 is a northern alternative to 我们 that always includes the listener. 咱们走吧 means "let's go"; 我们走吧 can mean the speaker's group is leaving without you.

Possession takes 的

There is no separate "my" or "your" – add 的 to the pronoun.

With family and close relationships the 的 drops: 我妈妈, 你朋友.