Personal pronouns
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我 | wǒ | I / me |
| 你 | nǐ | you |
| 您 | nín | you (polite) |
| 他 | tā | he / him |
| 她 | tā | she / her |
| 它 | tā | it (things) |
| 牠 | tā | it (animals — Taiwan usage) |
| 我們 | wǒmen | we / us |
| 你們 | nǐmen | you (plural) |
| 他們 | tāmen | they / them |
| 大家 | dàjiā | everyone |
您 vs 你 — when to be polite
您 nín is polite 'you' — used with strangers, customers, elders, and service staff. Tourists are fine defaulting to 你 in casual contexts, but 您 to a hotel clerk, a shopkeeper's parent, or anyone clearly senior reads as well-mannered. You'll also hear staff address you as 您.
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 您好 | nín hǎo | hello (polite) |
| 您好嗎 | nín hǎo ma | how are you? (formal, rarely used — 您好 alone is the polite greeting) |
| 謝謝您 | xièxie nín | thank you (polite) |
Addressing people — 先生 / 小姐 / 老闆
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 先生 | xiānshēng | Mr. / sir / husband |
| 小姐 | xiǎojiě | Miss — and how to call female staff in Taiwan |
| 老闆 | lǎobǎn | boss / shopkeeper (also how you call vendors) |
| 朋友 | péngyǒu | friend |
| 客人 | kèrén | customer / guest |
| 家人 | jiārén | family member |
The polite toolbox
Politeness in Taiwan Mandarin = a handful of set words and phrases:
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 請 | qǐng | please (before a request) |
| 請問 | qǐngwèn | excuse me / may I ask |
| 麻煩你 | máfán nǐ | sorry to trouble you / could you… |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎoyìsi | excuse me / sorry (huge in Taiwan) |
| 謝謝 | xièxie | thank you |
| 對不起 | duìbùqǐ | I'm sorry |
| 沒關係 | méiguānxì | it's okay / no problem |
| 借過一下 | jièguò yíxià | excuse me, coming through |
Mini practice
What is the polite form of 你?
您 (nín) — use it with staff, elders, and strangers when you want to sound courteous.
How do you make pronouns plural?
Add 們: 我→我們, 你→你們, 他→他們. (您 doesn't take 們.)
What do you call a female shop clerk in Taiwan?
小姐 (xiǎojiě) — the normal, polite form of address. 小姐，請問廁所在哪裡？
Which phrase means 'excuse me / I'm a bit sorry' and is used constantly in Taiwan?
不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi).
