"它六岁。"
Translation:It is six years old.
46 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
Can this expression be used with inanimate objects, such as a building or a business?
In traditional chinese, we still write "ta" to make the distinction :
牠=animals
它=inanimate objects
祂=deity
The simplified Chinese only uses 它
812
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"
- 812
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.
Can (and should) you use 它 for a person of an unknown gender, to avoid assuming their gender? Or would that be offensive?
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.
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"
- 1102
How are we supposed to know which "ta" when typing pinyin? This should accept all forms of ta as an answer.
Can we say ta liu yue Sui/liu tian Sui? I guess when yue/tian is not used nian is understood.
That translates as "He/She is six month year old." Does that make sense to you?
- 1052
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.
Sooo I have been wondering. . . if an old British lady were to say "It is six years old" in Chinese would she say it like 它六岁，爱 ???
Im confused. What does the "it" refer to in this case? Can anyone give an example of an item that, in english it makes sense in the context of this sentence?
How old is that mayonnaise in your refrigerator?
It is six years old.
("it" is a pronoun which functions as a replacement for a noun)
A-HA DUO!! I caught you! I corrected the apostrophe from: "it's 6 yrs old" . And changed it to: "its 6 yrs old" and you STILL marked it wrong! WELL DOU IT IS YOU WHO ARE WRONG THIS TIME!!! You can mark me as lazy, but NOT as wrong!!
Check out my Hello Kitty guitar, it's 6 years old. Damn it! who am I on this blue planet to have said such a thing!!!!