immersionlog

〜たち

plural (people)

Person noun + たち

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Japanese nouns don't change for plural: 本 is "a book" or "books". For people, though, たち marks a group: 子どもたち, "the children"; 私たち, "we"; 学生たち, "the students".

It often means "and the others" rather than a strict plural: 田中さんたち is "Tanaka and his group", not several Tanakas.

たち is for people, and sometimes animals, never things: 本たち only happens in poetry and children's stories.

A rougher alternative is ら (僕ら, "us guys"), and a politer one is 方 (かた), as in あなた方.

Examples

  • 子こどもたちが公園こうえんで遊あそんでいます。

    The children are playing in the park.

  • 私わたしたちは学生がくせいです。

    We're students.

  • 田中たなかさんたちはもう帰かえりました。

    Tanaka and the others have already gone home.

  • 友達ともだちたちと海うみへ行いきました。

    I went to the sea with my friends.

  • 学生がくせいたちは教室きょうしつにいます。

    The students are in the classroom.

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