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HSK 3 Personal Pronouns: Using 别人 and 咱们 Naturally
Beyond basic pronouns like I, you, and they, everyday Mandarin relies on 别人 to refer to other people generally and 咱们 to include the listener in a shared 'we'. Understanding their sentence positions and social nuances helps you sound natural and avoid awkward group references.
别人都去上课了，你怎么还在房间里？
别人 acts as the subject, referring to all the other students excluding the listener.
× 经理，咱们想请您参加明天的会议。
In this scenario the manager is an outside guest, not one of the employees extending the invitation. 我们 clearly keeps the inviting group separate from 您; use it for this intended distinction.
Corrected example: 经理，我们想请您参加明天的会议。
Read the full explanation and examples
What Are 别人 and 咱们?
In the HSK 3 grammar outline under word classes and pronouns, 别人 (biérén) and 咱们 (zánmen) are classified as personal pronouns (人称代词). While elementary learners already know how to point to specific individuals or groups using basic pronouns, these two words allow you to define boundaries inside a conversation: who is outside the current focus, and who is included inside the speaker's group.
- 别人 means 'other people' or 'others' (people other than oneself or a specified person).
- 咱们 means 'we' or 'us', specifically including both the speaker and the person being spoken to.
How to Use 别人 (Other People)
别人 refers to people other than the speaker, the listener, or a third party already mentioned in the context. Because it already contains the word 人 (person/people), it functions as a complete noun phrase on its own. You can place it directly in the subject position at the start of a clause or in the object position after a verb.
别人都去上课了，你怎么还在房间里？
别人 acts as the subject, referring to all the other students excluding the listener.
遇到问题的时候，他总是先帮助别人。
别人 acts as the direct object of the verb 帮助 (to help).
When 别人 modifies a noun to show possession or association ('other people's...'), it normally requires the particle 的 before the noun.
请不要随便看别人的手机。
别人 takes 的 before the noun 手机 to show possession.
How to Use 咱们 (Inclusive 'We')
咱们 is an inclusive first-person plural pronoun. In the basic use taught here, it covers both the speaker ('I') and the listener ('you'), and sometimes additional people as well. It is especially common in spoken Mandarin, northern dialects, and friendly everyday interactions where the speaker wants to build warmth, solidarity, or shared responsibility.
Because 咱们 includes the listener, it appears frequently in suggestions and invitations using the sentence-final particle 吧.
时间不早了，咱们快走吧。
咱们 includes both the speaker and the listener in the suggestion with 吧.
Like other personal pronouns, when 咱们 modifies a collective institution, family, or home (such as a school, company, or home), the possessive particle 的 can often be omitted before the first noun.
咱们学校的图书馆周末也开门。
Spoken to a schoolmate; both speaker and listener belong to the same school, and 的 is omitted between 咱们 and 学校.
Important Contrasts and Common Mistakes
To use both pronouns accurately, pay attention to two high-frequency boundaries: the difference between inclusive 咱们 and general 我们, and the structural limits of 别人.
我们 can include the listener or exclude them. In the ordinary inclusive use of 咱们 taught here, it includes the listener. If the intended meaning is specifically “our group, excluding you,” use 我们. Regional speech and rhetorical uses can differ, so judge the intended group and context rather than treating every use as a mechanical rule.
× 经理，咱们想请您参加明天的会议。
In this scenario the manager is an outside guest, not one of the employees extending the invitation. 我们 clearly keeps the inviting group separate from 您; use it for this intended distinction.
Corrected example: 经理，我们想请您参加明天的会议。
经理，我们想请您参加明天的会议。
Correct replacement: 我们 is used exclusively because the speakers are inviting the manager (您) from outside the hosting group.
别人 can refer to one or more people. In ordinary usage it does not take a numeral-classifier directly or add plural 们. Use 另外两个人 for “two other people.” Before a possessed noun, 别人的 is the useful basic pattern, though common expressions such as 别人家 can omit 的.
× 今天办公室里只有两个别人。
别人 normally stands on its own rather than directly following a numeral and classifier. To preserve “two other people,” say 另外两个人. 别人 can refer to one person or several people, depending on context.
Corrected example: 今天办公室里只有另外两个人。
今天办公室里只有另外两个人。
Use 另外两个人 to keep the exact count “two other people.” Replacing it with 别人 alone would lose the number.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add 们 to 别人 to make it plural?
No. 别人 already refers to other people in a general or collective sense, even though it can also apply to a single other person in context. Adding 们 (别人们) is ungrammatical.
Is 咱们 used in formal writing?
咱们 is primarily conversational and builds rapport between the speaker and listener or reader. In formal reports, news, or official documents, 我们 is normally preferred even when the meaning includes the audience.
Can 别人 be placed directly before another noun, like 别人学生?
Not in that example. Use 别的学生 for “other students,” or 别人的学生 for “someone else’s students.” 别人的 + Noun is the basic possessive pattern, but 的 is omitted in some familiar expressions, such as 别人家.
