Skip to content
HSK 2.0 Level 3+ HSK 3.0 Level 3+ 7 min read

别人 and 咱们

Learn 别人 and 咱们 with practical HSK 3 examples, focus vocabulary, common pitfalls, and targeted cloze practice.

Pattern

social pronouns for other people and us

Use this HSK 3 pattern to make sentence structure, scope, or emphasis explicit instead of relying on word-for-word English order.

不要打扰别人。

When to use 别人 and 咱们

Read social pronouns for other people and us as a sentence tool, not just as vocabulary. First locate the main action or claim, then ask what 别人 adds to it.

别人的事不要管。

Do not meddle in other people's affairs.

不要随便看别人的手机。

Do not casually look at other people's phones.

Common traps

  • Do not translate social pronouns for other people and us mechanically from English; check the Chinese word order first.
  • Keep 别人 close to the part of the sentence it controls.
  • Do not overuse the pattern in every sentence; use it when it adds a clear role.

Targeted drill

Practice this exact pattern before moving on.

不要打扰 。

Missing grammar piece
Meanings
other people