在英语中,"他"和"她"是最基础的人称代词,对应英文单词分别是 "he" 和 "she",这两个词看似简单,但在实际使用中却有许多细节需要注意,尤其是涉及性别表达、语法规则以及文化差异时。
基础用法:he 和 she
-
"He" 指代男性,
- He is a doctor.(他是一名医生。)
- Tom said he would come.(汤姆说他回来。)
-
"She" 指代女性,
- She is a teacher.(她是一名教师。)
- Mary told me she likes music.(玛丽告诉我她喜欢音乐。)
这两个词在句子中通常作主语,而它们的宾格形式分别是 "him"(他)和 "her"(她)。
所有格形式:his 和 her
除了主格和宾格,"他"和"她"的所有格形式也不同:
-
"His"(他的)
- This is his book.(这是他的书。)
- His car is new.(他的车是新的。)
-
"Her"(她的)
- That is her bag.(那是她的包。)
- Her cat is cute.(她的猫很可爱。)
反身代词:himself 和 herself
在强调动作由主语自己完成时,会用到反身代词:
-
"Himself"(他自己)
- He fixed the car himself.(他自己修好了车。)
-
"Herself"(她自己)
- She made the cake herself.(她自己做了蛋糕。)
性别中立代词:they
在现代英语中,越来越多的人使用 "they" 作为单数代词,以避免性别假设,这在正式写作和日常交流中都很常见:
- If someone calls, tell them I’ll call back.(如果有人打电话来,告诉他们我会回电。)
- A good doctor always listens to their patients.(一位好医生总是倾听病人的需求。)
这种用法尤其适用于:
- 不知道对方性别时
- 对方是非二元性别者(non-binary)
- 希望避免性别刻板印象
常见错误与纠正
(1)混淆 his 和 her
错误:She lost his keys.(错误,因为主语是女性,不能用 his)
正确:She lost her keys.(她弄丢了她的钥匙。)
(2)误用 they 的动词形式
错误:Everyone should bring their own lunch, but he must arrive on time.(前后不一致)
正确:Everyone should bring their own lunch, but they must arrive on time.
(3)性别假设
错误:A nurse should always be kind to her patients.(假设护士一定是女性)
正确:A nurse should always be kind to their patients.
文化差异与性别表达
英语国家近年来对性别语言更加敏感,许多正式场合鼓励使用 "they" 或 "he or she" 来避免性别偏见。
- Each student should bring his or her notebook.(每位学生都应带上他或她的笔记本。)
- Each student should bring their notebook.(更自然的表达)
在 LGBTQ+ 社群中,有些人可能使用 "ze" 或 "hir" 等中性代词,但这类词汇尚未进入主流英语。
如何正确使用 he 和 she
-
明确性别时:用 he 或 she
- John is here. He wants to talk to you.(约翰在这儿,他想和你谈谈。)
- Lisa is my friend. She loves traveling.(丽莎是我的朋友,她喜欢旅行。)
-
性别未知或不想假设时:用 they
- The author of this book is brilliant. They write beautifully.(这本书的作者很出色,他们写得很好。)
-
正式写作中:可用 "he or she",但避免过度使用
- A good leader always considers his or her team’s opinions.(优秀的领导者总会考虑他或她的团队意见。)
练习与巩固
试试看以下填空:
- is my brother. name is Jack.(He / His)
- is a singer. voice is amazing.(She / Her)
- If a customer complains, listen to ___ carefully.(them)
答案:
- He, His
- She, Her
- them
掌握 "he" 和 "she" 的正确用法,能让英语表达更准确自然,随着语言发展,灵活使用 "they" 也是现代英语的重要趋势,无论是写作还是口语,清晰、尊重对方的表达方式永远是最重要的。