Chinese grammar: Comparing 人家renjia and 别人bieren
When describing others, we can use the word 人家 (rénjia) or 别人 (biéren). But 人家 also has other grammatical uses, which we will explore in this article.
Both mean "others"
人家 and 别人 both refer to others besides the speaker and the listener, however, 人家 is more colloquial.
Structure
Examples
我 不 在乎 别人 怎么 说。
人家 can mean "I"
人家 can be used to refer to yourself, and it is often used this way by women, giving it a sort of girly, shy, tender feeling.
Structure
Examples
因为 人家 喜欢 你 嘛。
人家 can mean a certain "him" or "her"
人家 can also refer to someone previously referred to (in the context of the conversation or body of text)or it can refer to a certain someone that both the speaker and listener know.
Structure
Examples
你 快 去 给 人家 道歉。
人家 can mean "residents"
人家 can also mean residents or inhabitant.
Structure
Examples
这里 很 少 有 人家。