别人 (bié rén) — other people, others | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

别人 (bié rén) means 'other people' in general — anyone who isn't you or your group. 对方 refers to the specific other party in a conversation or deal; 其余 is 'the rest' of a known set.

pronoun

other peopleothers

Measure word · 个

Examples

。
Bú yào ràng bié rén děng.
Don't make others wait.
。
Bié rén dōu shuō zhè ge diàn yǐng hěn hǎo kàn.
Others all say this movie is very good.
。
Nǐ yào duō tīng tīng bié rén de yì jiàn.
You should listen more to other people's opinions.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

别biéother

人rénperson

别 means other and 人 means person; together they refer to other people.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 別; 别 is its simplified writing.

冎冎guǎbone
刂刀dāoknife

The traditional form 別 pairs 冎 (bone) with 刀 (knife), showing a knife cutting up bone and flesh. The simplified 别 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 别 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →