them
them — 限定詞
1. a non-standard spoken form of 'those', used in many regional dialects of English
那些
非標準用法，等同 those
a non-standard spoken form of 'those', used in many regional dialects of English to point to specific people or things that are not close to the speaker
Rachid told the shopkeeper he wanted to buy them apples on the wooden counter.
Rachid 告訴店主他想要買木櫃檯上的那些蘋果。
non-standard determiner: them + noun for 'those + noun'
Élise picked up them heavy boxes from the garage and carried them to the truck.
Élise 從車庫裡搬起那些沉重的箱子，把它們搬到了卡車上。
Tariq told the driver them boxes needed to go to the warehouse, not the shop.
Tariq 跟司機說那些箱子要送到倉庫，不是店面。
In them days, nobody locked their doors at night in our little village.
在那些日子裡，我們那個小村莊晚上沒有人鎖門。
- those
the standard form; appropriate in all registers
文法句型
them + noun phrase (dialectal for 'those + noun')
用法筆記
This usage is not standard English. It occurs in working-class British dialects, some American regional speech, and other non-standard varieties. Never use in formal or academic writing — replace with 'those'.
常見錯誤
them — 代名詞
1. the form of 'they' that serves as the grammatical object of a sentence — placed
他們
第三人稱複數受格代詞
the form of 'they' that serves as the grammatical object of a sentence — placed right after an action word like 'see', 'help', or 'call', or a linking word like 'for', 'to', or 'with', to point back to a group of people or things mentioned earlier
Jin invited Ritu to join them for dinner at the new Burmese place.
Jin 邀請 Ritu 跟他們一起去那家新開的緬甸餐廳吃晚餐。
verb + object pronoun: invited + them
Christopher found the lost classroom keys and handed them to the caretaker.
Christopher 找到了教室遺失的鑰匙，把它們交給了管理員。
Yara bought mangoes at the stand and put them in a bowl on the table.
Yara 在攤位買了芒果，把它們放在桌上的碗裡。
Stray cats gather every evening, and a kind neighbour always leaves food out for them.
那些流浪貓每天晚上都會聚集過來，一位好心的鄰居總是會把食物留給牠們。
文法句型
verb + them
preposition + them
be + them
用法筆記
The object form of 'they'. Use after transitive verbs (help them, see them, call them), after prepositions (to them, for them, with them, about them), and after the verb 'be' in standard English (It was them at the door). Never use as a sentence subject — that requires 'they'.
常見錯誤
2. the object form of 'they' when it points to a single person whose gender the spe
對方
性別不明或不重要時使用
the object form of 'they' when it points to a single person whose gender the speaker does not know, has not stated, or considers unimportant — commonly following words like 'someone', 'anyone', or 'a person'
Apologise to customers who call about late delivery and offer them a refund code.
若有顧客打電話來詢問延遲送貨，請向對方道歉並提供折扣碼。
singular 'them' for a person of unknown gender in a service context
When a passenger reported a missing suitcase, the station staff helped them fill out a form.
當有乘客通報行李箱遺失時，車站人員協助對方填寫了一張表格。
singular 'them' after 'help' (unknown gender)
Walid asked each person to share ideas, and he listened carefully to them.
Walid 請每個人分享想法，然後仔細聆聽對方的意見。
Daichi told the clerk about a lost bag; he offered to keep it for them.
Daichi 跟店員說有人遺失了包包；她主動說可以幫對方保管。
- him or her
more formal and explicit about both gender options; less common in modern usage
- that person
emphasises the individual; useful in formal writing
文法句型
verb + them (singular)
someone / anyone / a person + singular them
用法筆記
In modern English, using 'them' to refer to a single person of unknown gender is widely accepted in both speech and writing. Major style guides (APA, Chicago, MLA, Oxford) endorse this usage. Common antecedents include 'someone', 'anyone', 'nobody', 'everyone', 'a person', 'the customer', 'the winner'.
常見錯誤
3. the object pronoun for a person whose identity is outside the male-female binary
當事人
指非二元性別者
the object pronoun for a person whose identity is outside the male-female binary — applied when that person has indicated that 'they/them' are their pronouns and does not wish to be called 'him' or 'her'
Esme uses they/them pronouns, so refer to them by name or use 'they'.
Esme 使用 they/them 代名詞，所以請稱呼他們的名字，或用「他們」來指稱。
non-binary referent: uses they/them pronouns
Yael shared their thoughts on the project, and the team listened to them.
Yael 在會議上分享了當事人對這個專案的想法，團隊仔細聆聽了他們的意見。
Soraya asked the journalist to check with them before publishing any quotes from the interview.
Soraya 要求記者在刊登採訪內容之前先與當事人確認。
Quinn uses they/them pronouns, so I always check with them before sharing details publicly.
Quinn 使用 they/them 代名詞，所以我每次公開分享細節前都會先跟對方確認。
- that person
a neutral alternative; useful when the singular-they pronoun might cause confusion
文法句型
verb + them (singular, non-binary referent)
pronouns: they/them
用法筆記
Used to respect a person who identifies as non-binary. The individual may specify 'they/them' as their pronouns. This usage is increasingly standard in professional, academic, and social settings. When in doubt about someone's pronouns, use their name or ask politely.