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- Topic: Chinese >
- "它六岁。"
"它六岁。"
Translation:It is six years old.
27 Comments
Can this expression be used with inanimate objects, such as a building or a business?
243
In traditional chinese, we still write "ta" to make the distinction :
牠=animals
它=inanimate objects
祂=deity
The simplified Chinese only uses 它
- 135
Actually, 牠，它 and 祂 can all be used in Simplified Chinese, they're all still ㄊㄚ/Tā (I double checked on my keyboard) but it's kind of like 妳，it can be used in both but Chinese people prefer to just use “你”
Essentially it's just a difference between English and Chinese. There's no real explanation other than they're just different languages with different rules.
English: "I am 6 years old" French: "I have 6 years" Chinese: "I six years old"
- 135
Because that would be saying that they are "a six year old" as if you're an object called "six years old" Like if you said "我是一隻貓” (I am a cat) you would be saying that you are physically a cat. Sorry, my explination is bad but I tried. I hope that helps.
- 431
Can (and should) you use 它 for a person of an unknown gender, to avoid assuming their gender? Or would that be offensive?
Is 岁 a classifier? 它 seems to be a pronoun and 六 a numeral, if such classifications exist in Chinese.
They do, although since I'm a student of the American system, I don't know what a classifier is, although 岁 means "years old"
There's no way other than to pay attention to the context. All three have the exact same pronounciation.
I wouldn't worry too much. It's rarely important in conversations.
Can we say ta liu yue Sui/liu tian Sui? I guess when yue/tian is not used nian is understood.
- 437
How are we supposed to know which "ta" when typing pinyin? This should accept all forms of ta as an answer.
It's not just you. Someone else mentioned it, and I hear that too. I assume it's some sort of error in the program, since it marked me correct when I said 岁 (sui) instead. So I simply reported it.
