Language/Multiple-languages/Vocabulary/Pronouns

If you have learned some languages, you will want to ask a question like this: what can I do to express something in this language.

Different languages have different answers.

Far from being completed.

pronoun

How to indicate the speaker?

By the first-person singular pronoun.

Are there different first-person singular pronouns for different use?

No.

language	word	note
Amharic	እኔ
Arabic	أَنَا‎‎
Basque	ni
Bengali	আমি
Chinese	我
English	I
French	je
German	ich
Hausa	ni
Hebrew	אֲנִי
Hindi	मैं; हम	the latter can also mean plural
Italian	io
Javanese	aku
Kabyle	nekk
Kannada	ನಾನು
Malayalam	ഞാന്
Marathi	मी
Mon	အဲ
Portuguese	eu
Punjabi	ਮੈਂ
Russian	я
Spanish	yo
Swahili	mimi
Tamil	நான்
Telugu	నేను
Tigrinya	ኣነ
Turkish	ben
Urdu	ہم; میں	The latter can also mean plural

Yes.

language	word	note
Burmese	ကျွန်တော်; ကျွန်မ; ငါ; ကျုပ်	formal, male; formal, female; informal; more polite
Indonesian	saya; aku	formal; informal
Japanese	私(わたし); 私(わたくし); 僕; あたし; 俺	common; formal; informal; female; male
Khmer	ខ្ញុំ; ខ្ញុំបាទ; នាងខ្; ខ្ញុំព្រះករុណា; ខ្ញុំព្រះអង្គ; ខ្ញុំម្ចាស់	common; formal, male; formal, female; royalty; royalty, male; royalty, female
Korean	나; 저	common; formal
Malay	saya; aku; daku; hamba; patik; beta	formal; informal; poetic; lowest social strata; facing royalties; royalties
Thai	ผม; ดิฉัน; ฉัน; กระหม่อม; ข้าพเจ้า; หนู; กู	male; female; informal; more formal; more formal; child to adult; crude
Tsafiki	la; čiʰké; če	adult male; adult female; immature
Vietnamese	tôi; tớ; ta; mình	common; informal; informal; intimate

How to indicate the listener?

By the second-person singular pronoun.

Are there different second-person singular pronouns for different use?

No.

language	word	note
English	you
Malayalam	നീ
Mon	ဗှ်ေ
Swahili	wewe
Tibetan	ཁྱེད་རང
Vietnamese	bạn

Yes.

language	word	note
Amharic	አንተ; አንቺ; እርስዎ	to male; to female; formal
Arabic	أَنْتَ‎‎ ; أَنْتِ‎‎ ; حَضْرَتَك‎‎ ; حَضْرَتِك‎‎	to male; to female; to male, formal; to female, formal
Bengali	তুই; তুমি; আপনি	informal; intimate; formal
Burmese	နင်; မင်း; ခင်ဗျား; ရှင်	informal; informal; formal, by male; formal, by female
Chinese Mandarin	你; 您	informal; formal
French	tu; vous	informal; formal
German	du; Sie	informal; formal
Hebrew	אַתָּה; אַתְּ‎‎	to male; to female
Hindi	तू; तुम; आप	informal; polite; more polite
Italian	tu; lei	informal; formal
Japanese	貴方; 君; お前; あんた; てまえ; 貴様	polite; familiar; intimate or rude; by female or by older male; vulgar, by male; insulting
Khmer	លោក; លោកស្រី; នាងស្រី; អ្នក	to male or Buddhist monk; to older female; to younger female; common
Korean	당신; 너; 네; 자네	common; informal; informal; to low social strata
Malay	kamu; awak; anda; dikau; engkau	common; informal; formal; poetic; poetic, informal
Portuguese	tu; você	familiar in Portugal, rarely used in Brazil; polite in Portugal, general in Brazil
Russian	ты; Вы; вы	familiar; polite; polite
Spanish	tú; usted; vos	familiar; polite; familiar
Tamil	நீ; நீங்கள்; தாங்கள்	familiar; polite; more polite
Telugu	నీవు; మీరు	familiar; polite
Thai	คุณ; เธอ; มึง; เอ็ง; ท่าน; นาย; หล่อน; เรา; โยม; ประสก; สีกา	colloquial; polite; vulgar, familiar; less vulgar, familiar; colloquial; colloquial, to male; colloquial, to female; elder to younger; vulgar; priest to layperson; priest to layman; priest to laywoman
Tigrinya	ንስኻ; ንስኺ; ንስኹም; ንስኽን	informal, to male; informal, to female; formal, to male; formal, to female
Turkish	sen; siz	familiar; polite
Urdu	آپ‎‎; تم‎‎; تو‎‎	formal; less informal; informal
Yoruba	ìwọ; ệyin	informal; formal

How to indicate a person being neither the speaker nor the listener?

By the third-person singular pronoun.

Are there different third-person singular pronouns for different use?

No.

language	word	note
Chinese Cantonese	佢
Filipino	siya
Finnish	hän
Haitian	li
Hindi	वह
Hungarian	ő
Igbo	ọ
Malay/Indonesian	dia
Persian	او
Swahili	yeye
Turkish	o
Punjabi	ਉਹ
Shona	iye
Urdu	وہ

Yes.

language	word	note
Amharic	እሱ; እሷ	male; female
Arabic	هُوَ; هِيَ‎‎	male; female
Basque	bera; hura	male; female
Bengali	সে; আপনি	familiar; polite
Burmese	သူ; သူမ	male or colloquial female; formal female
Chinese Mandarin	他; 她	male; female
English	he; she	male; female
French	il; elle	male; female
German	er; sie	male; female
Hausa	shíi; ’ítá	male; female
Hebrew	הוא; היא	male; female
Italian	lui; lei; egli; ella	male; female; male, literary; female, literary
Japanese	彼; 彼女	male; female
Kannada	ಇವನು; ಇವ; ಅವನು; ಅವ; ಇವಳು; ಅವಳು	this male; this male; that male; that male; this female; that female
Khmer	គាត់; នាង	male; female
Korean	그; 그녀	male; female
Malayalam	അവൻ; അവൾ	male; female
Portuguese	ele; ela	male; female
Russian	он; она	male; female
Somali	isagu; iyada	male; female
Spanish	él; ella	male; female
Tamil	அவர்; அவள்	male; female
Telugu	అతను; ఆమె	male; female
Vietnamese	anh ta; bà ấy	male; female
Yoruba	oun; o	male; female

= Human and animal. =

language	word	note
Finnish	se/ne	for inanimate and non-human animate things
Thai	มัน	for inanimate and non-human animate things

= Animate and inanimate. =

language	word	note
Finnish	se/ne	for inanimate and non-human animate things
Persian	آن	for singular inanimate things
Thai	มัน	for inanimate and non-human animate things

How to tell the one being referenced is human or animal?

By the human and animal pronouns.

language	word	note
Finnish	se/ne	for inanimate and non-human animate things
Thai	มัน	for inanimate and non-human animate things