人家: third-person/distancing pronoun
Use 1 — Other people (contrast with speaker) Points out that others did (or did not do) something, often with accusation or complaint.
> 人家都交了，就你没交。 — Everyone else handed in; only you didn't.
Use 2 — That person / he / she (sympathetic or admiring)
Refers to a specific, known third party — often defends or praises them.
> 你别笑她——人家很努力了。 — Don't laugh at her; she's tried really hard.
Use 3 — I / me (first-person, colloquial)
Speaker refers to themselves with mild indignation or coyness.
> 人家才不想去！ — I don't want to go!
Key contrasts
| Word | Meaning | Notes |
|------|---------|-------|
| 人家 | others / that person / I | Colloquial, pointed, emotional |
| 别人 | other people | Neutral |
| 大家 | everyone (incl. speaker) | Neutral |
| 他 / 她 | he / she | Plain pronoun |
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 人家都交作业了，就你一个人没交。 | Rénjiā dōu jiāo zuòyè le, jiù nǐ yī gè rén méi jiāo. | Everyone else has handed in their homework; you're the only one who hasn't. | Use 1: 人家 = 'other people', contrasted pointedly with 'you' (就你). |
| 你别批评她，人家已经尽力了。 | Nǐ bié pīpíng tā, rénjiā yǐjīng jìnlì le. | Don't criticize her — she has already done her best. | Use 2 introduced: 人家 = 'that person (her)', used to sympathetically defend a specific third party. |
| 人家才不想去那种地方呢！ | Rénjiā cái bù xiǎng qù nà zhǒng dìfang ne! | I don't want to go to a place like that! | Use 3 introduced: 人家 = 'I/me', speaker expresses mild indignation in colloquial style. |
| 你看人家小明，每次考试都是第一名。 | Nǐ kàn rénjiā Xiǎo Míng, měi cì kǎoshì dōu shì dì yī míng. | Look at Xiao Ming — he's first place every single exam. | Use 2 extended: 人家 + name singles out a specific person admiringly as a comparison. New element: 人家 can precede a name. |
What you need first
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