它 · 大家 · 咱们
it, they (animals, things) · everyone · we (you and me)
Structure
它／它们 · 大家 + 动词 · 咱们（包括听话人）
What it means
它 is “it” for animals and things (它们 for more than one); 大家 is “everyone (here)”; 咱们 is a friendly “we” that includes the listener.
How it is built
这是我的猫，它两岁了 (it’s two years old). 大家 + verb: 大家都来了. 咱们 + verb: 咱们一起去吧！ (Let’s go together!).
When to use it
大家 is common in greetings: 大家好！ 很高兴认识大家. 咱们 always includes the person you are talking to, while 我们 can leave them out.
Watch out
他, 她 and 它 all sound tā, so only the writing shows which one. Use 咱们 only when the listener is part of “we”.
Examples
这是我的猫，它两岁了。
This is my cat. It’s two years old.
大家好！我叫大卫。
Hello, everyone! I’m David.
咱们一起去吧！
Let’s go together!
我们下午去，你也去吗？
We’re going this afternoon. Are you coming too?
Learn this in HSK 2 · Lesson 1: 新同事 (A new colleague)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. This lesson is free.
Open the lesson →