# HSK 1 Grammar: Suffixes —们 (-men) and —边 (-bian) Explained | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-1-suffixes-0780b90efb Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-1-suffixes-0780b90efb HSK levels: 1 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:55:24.958Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how to use the Chinese suffixes 们 (for plural pronouns and people) and 边 (for location words) in the HSK 1 outline, with clear rules and common mistakes. Grammar [HSK 1 · Morphemes › Suffixes](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-1#hsk-1-g002) # HSK 1 Suffixes: —们 (-men) and —边 (-biān / -bian) In the HSK 1 grammar outline, 们 and 边 are introduced as essential word-forming suffixes (后缀). While 们 attaches to personal pronouns and human nouns to express a collective or plural group, 边 attaches to directional roots to create multi-syllable location nouns. Personal Pronoun or Human Noun 们 Example sentence 我们都是学生。 Wǒmen dōu shì xuésheng. We are all students. Personal pronoun 我 takes 们 to form the plural pronoun 我们, while the noun 学生 remains unmarked even though it refers to multiple people. A common mistake × 我有三个朋友们。 Wǒ yǒu sān gè péngyoumen. Intended: I have three friends. Incorrect: In Chinese, a noun modified by a specific number and measure word (三个) cannot take the suffix 们. Replace with 我有三个朋友。 Corrected example: 我有三个朋友。 **Read the full explanation and examples** ## What Are Suffixes in HSK 1? In the Level 1 syllabus under morphemes (语素), Chinese introduces two foundational suffixes (后缀): —们 and —边. In Chinese grammar, a suffix is a bound element placed at the end of a root word or morpheme to adjust its grammatical function or create a stable word. Learn the common roots that combine with each suffix rather than assuming that it attaches freely to every word. The level categorization in this lesson reflects the supplied HSK 3.0 syllabus outline (2025-11 edition) and does not determine which exam version is currently administered at an individual test center. ## The Plural and Collective Suffix —们 The suffix 们 (pronounced in the neutral tone, men) has two primary jobs at the beginner level. First, it is mandatory when turning singular personal pronouns into plural personal pronouns: 我 (I) becomes 我们 (we), 你 (you) becomes 你们 (you all), and 他 or 她 (he or she) becomes 他们 or 她们 (they). Second, it can attach to nouns referring to people—such as 老师 (teacher), 学生 (student), or 朋友 (friend)—to refer to them as a collective group. Personal Pronoun or Human Noun 们 我们都是学生。 Wǒmen dōu shì xuésheng. We are all students. Personal pronoun 我 takes 们 to form the plural pronoun 我们, while the noun 学生 remains unmarked even though it refers to multiple people. 老师们在喝茶。 Lǎoshīmen zài hē chá. The teachers are drinking tea. Attaching 们 to a human noun like 老师 groups a definite set of teachers together. When attached to a human noun like 老师们, the suffix does not simply mean "more than one" in the English sense. Instead, it groups known individuals together as a collective whole, often when addressing a crowd directly (such as "Friends!" or "Students!") or describing a specific group of people in a scene. ## Strict Limits and Common Mistakes with —们 Because English speakers are used to marking almost every plural noun with -s, they frequently overuse 们 in Chinese. In ordinary Chinese, general nouns do not need a plural suffix at all; context or quantity words show whether you mean one or many. Furthermore, there are strict grammatical limits on when 们 is forbidden. - In the ordinary counted-noun pattern, use 三个朋友 without 们. Pronouns work differently: 我们三个人 and 他们两个 are possible. A plural suffix does not by itself prohibit adding an explicit count to a pronoun group. - Do not add 们 mechanically to ordinary object nouns: books normally remain 书, not 书们. Animal nouns can take 们 in affectionate, expressive, or personifying language, not just in fables. The pronoun 它们 is an ordinary plural form for non-human referents. - Leave human nouns unmarked when making general statements or when a quantifier like 很多 (many) or 一些 (some) already indicates plurality. × 我有三个朋友们。 Wǒ yǒu sān gè péngyoumen. Intended: I have three friends. Incorrect: In Chinese, a noun modified by a specific number and measure word (三个) cannot take the suffix 们. Replace with 我有三个朋友。 Corrected example: 我有三个朋友。 我有三个朋友。 Wǒ yǒu sān gè péngyou. I have three friends. Correct replacement: The exact number and measure word 三个 already express quantity, so 朋友 must appear without 们. × 桌子上有很多书们。 Zhuōzi shàng yǒu hěn duō shūmen. Intended: There are many books on the table. Incorrect: Inanimate nouns like 书 (book) cannot take the human suffix 们 in ordinary contexts. Replace with 桌子上有很多书。 Corrected example: 桌子上有很多书。 桌子上有很多书。 Zhuōzi shàng yǒu hěn duō shū. There are many books on the table. Correct replacement: 书 remains unchanged for plural meaning, and 桌子上 shows a single-syllable location word attached directly to a noun. ## The Location Suffix —边 The second HSK 1 suffix is 边 (biān, usually pronounced in the neutral tone bian when used as a suffix). Its core meaning relates to a "side" or "border," and it attaches to single-syllable directional morphemes—such as 上 (up), 下 (down), 前 (front), 后 (back), 里 (inside), 外 (outside), 左 (left), 右 (right), 东 (east), 西 (west), 南 (south), 北 (north), and 旁 (side)—to form two-syllable location words (方位词). Directional Root 边 医院在左边。 Yīyuàn zài zuǒbian. The hospital is on the left. 左边 is a clear full location word after 在 in this beginner example. Other full forms, such as 左面 or 左侧, also exist; 边 is not the only possible ending. 上边有两本书。 Shàngbian yǒu liǎng běn shū. There are two books on top. With no reference noun before it, 上 takes the suffix 边 to function as the location subject of 有. 我家前边是饭店。 Wǒ jiā qiánbian shì fàndiàn. In front of my home is a restaurant. 前边 follows the noun phrase 我家 to specify the area in front of that place. ## Useful Contrasts and Limits with —边 Understanding why Chinese uses 边 helps you avoid awkward sentences. Single-syllable direction characters like 左 (left), 右 (right), 前 (front), or 后 (back) rarely stand alone as independent subjects or objects after verbs like 在 (be at) or 有 (there is). Adding the suffix 边 turns them into complete, independent location nouns that can act as the subject of a sentence, the object of 在, or a modifier after another noun. - After a reference noun, short forms such as 上 or 里 can attach directly, as in 桌子上. For a standalone beginner location, use a full form such as 上边, 上面, or 左边. The choice is not restricted to the suffix 边. - In this lesson, directional roots combine with the suffix 边. You may also encounter a noun followed by the location word 边, as in 学校边 (“beside the school”). For an explicit beginner description, 学校旁边 or 学校前边 makes the relationship clearer; do not call every noun + 边 combination impossible. - Exception for 中 (middle): While most directional roots take 边, "in the middle" is normally 中间 (zhōngjiān) rather than pairing 中 with 边 in standard modern usage. ## Frequently asked questions **Do I need to add 们 every time I talk about more than one person?** No. Ordinary human nouns can be plural without 们. Use forms such as 老师们 for an appropriate group reading, but use 三个朋友 in the basic counted-noun pattern. Standard plural pronouns such as 我们 contain 们 and may still take a following count, as in 我们三个人. **Is 边 pronounced in the first tone or the neutral tone?** As a standalone word meaning edge or side, 边 is first tone (biān). When attached to a directional root as a location suffix—such as in 前边 (qiánbian) or 左边 (zuǒbian)—it is standardly read in the neutral tone in everyday speech. **Can 边 also attach to 这 (this) and 那 (that)?** Yes. In everyday conversation, 这边 (over here / this side) and 那边 (over there / that side) are very common location words formed with the same suffix. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 386](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=386) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. 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