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"How can I tell whether a Chinese speaker is referring to a male or female?"

  • Writer: Celeste Wu
    Celeste Wu
  • Apr 17, 2024
  • 1 min read

Updated: Mar 18


Three diverse babies sit with a globe under a colorful sky. Text: "Multicultural Families" and various forms of "Tā" in Mandarin.

This can be quite a perplexing issue for all English speakers.

In English, you can immediately tell whether the subject is male or female based on the pronouns 'he' or 'she.'

However, the fact is that even native Chinese speakers can't tell whether the subject is male or female without context.


Chinese speakers also ask the speaker, 'So, are you talking about a male or female?'

Therefore, next time you encounter this issue, feel free to ask the speaker directly,

'Are you talking about a male or female?'

Native Chinese speakers do this too, so there's no need to worry—just ask!"


Text asks if a Chinese speaker's noun refers to male or female. Features three cartoon babies, each with different hairstyles, on a pastel background.


 
 
 

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