你 nǐ you
How to remember 你: 亻 person + 尔 you = you. At rehearsal a person declaims a very solemn "O you" from the script, and the director whispers "That just means you."
Component breakdown
你 = 亻 person + 尔 you
- 亻 person
- 尔 you
At rehearsal a person declaims a very solemn "O you" from the script, and the director whispers "That just means you."
How it came to be
A person beside thou, which was already the pronoun. There is no ancient form because the character is late: the person block was added to an older pronoun to keep the two apart.
How it is used
- 'You' (singular) - 你们 (nǐmen) you (plural), 你好 (nǐhǎo) hello.
- The polite form is 您 (nín), used for elders, strangers and customers.
Characters built with 你
Words with 你
Example sentences
- 谢谢你。 Xièxie nǐ.Thank you.
- 你做对了。 Nǐ zuòduì le.You've done the right thing.
- 你在想什么？ Nǐ zài xiǎng shénme?What are you thinking about?
- 你做得很好。 Nǐ zuò de hěn hǎo.You've done great.