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Lesson 1· 10 min

者: The One Who, 前者 and 后者

Turn a verb or adjective into 'the person who does it' with 者 (读者, 消费者, 初学者), read 违者 and 知情者 in notices, and point back to two things with 前者 and 后者 instead of repeating them.

Verb + 者: the person who does it

者 (zhě) turns a verb, a verb + object or an adjective into a noun for the person who does it or has that quality: 读者 (reader), 作者 (author), 记者 (journalist), 学者 (scholar), 患者 (patient), 消费者 (consumer). It is the written cousin of …的人: 参加比赛的人 becomes 参赛者 (cānsàizhě).

Many 者 words are fixed vocabulary, but the pattern is still productive in writing: 使用者 (user), 求职者 (qiúzhízhě) (job seeker), 初学者 (chūxuézhě) (beginner), 爱好者 (àihàozhě) (enthusiast), 志愿者 (volunteer). English does the same with -er and -or. The difference is register: a new 者 word sounds bookish, so in conversation 用的人 or 刚开始学的人 is often more natural.

者 also follows adjectives: 强者 (the strong), 弱者 (the weak), 长者 (zhǎngzhě) (an elder; 长 is zhǎng here, as in 长大).

这本书受到了很多读者的欢迎。
Zhè běn shū shòudào le hěn duō dúzhě de huānyíng. -- This book has been popular with a lot of readers.
他每个周末都去医院当志愿者。
Tā měi ge zhōumò dōu qù yīyuàn dāng zhìyuànzhě. -- He volunteers at the hospital every weekend.
这套教材很适合初学者。
Zhè tào jiàocái hěn shìhé chūxuézhě. -- This set of textbooks is ideal for beginners.
作为消费者，我们有权知道产品的真实信息。
Zuòwéi xiāofèizhě, wǒmen yǒu quán zhīdào chǎnpǐn de zhēnshí xìnxī. -- As consumers, we have the right to know the truth about a product.
他是一位研究明代历史的学者。
Tā shì yí wèi yánjiū Míngdài lìshǐ de xuézhě. -- He is a scholar of Ming dynasty history.

Quick check

1. What is a 求职者?

违者 and 知情者: 者 in notices

Notices use 者 to name whoever does something, often in short four-character warnings: 违者罚款 (wéizhě fákuǎn) (offenders will be fined), 违者必究 (offenders will be prosecuted). The police appeal to 知情者 (zhīqíngzhě), 'anyone with information'.

The part before 者 can be a whole phrase: 迟到十五分钟以上者 means 'anyone more than fifteen minutes late'. English needs 'anyone who …' or 'those who …'; Chinese just closes the phrase with 者.

禁止吸烟，违者罚款。
Jìnzhǐ xīyān, wéizhě fákuǎn. -- No smoking. Offenders will be fined.
迟到十五分钟以上者，不得进入考场。
Chídào shíwǔ fēnzhōng yǐshàng zhě, bùdé jìnrù kǎochǎng. -- Anyone more than fifteen minutes late may not enter the exam room.
警方呼吁知情者尽快提供线索。
Jǐngfāng hūyù zhīqíngzhě jǐnkuài tígōng xiànsuǒ. -- The police are appealing to anyone with information to come forward as soon as possible.

Quick check

1. A sign by a lake says 禁止游泳，违者罚款. What does it tell you?

前者 and 后者: the former and the latter

After naming two things, point back to them with 前者 (qiánzhě) (the former) and 后者 (hòuzhě) (the latter), exactly as in formal English. It saves repeating long names and keeps a comparison tight.

In English 'the former' and 'the latter' sound stiff when spoken; 前者 and 后者 are perfectly normal in spoken explanations too, especially when weighing two options. 两者 (liǎngzhě) means 'both of them': 两者各有优点. With three or more items, don't use 前者: repeat the names or say 第一个.

北京和上海我都去过，前者历史悠久，后者非常现代。
Běijīng hé Shànghǎi wǒ dōu qù guo, qiánzhě lìshǐ yōujiǔ, hòuzhě fēicháng xiàndài. -- I've been to both Beijing and Shanghai: the former has a long history, the latter is very modern.
租房还是买房？前者灵活，后者稳定。
Zū fáng háishi mǎi fáng? Qiánzhě línghuó, hòuzhě wěndìng. -- Rent or buy? The first is flexible, the second is stable.
两者各有优点。
Liǎngzhě gè yǒu yōudiǎn. -- Both have their advantages.

Quick check

1. 我有一只猫和一只狗，后者特别爱叫。 Which animal barks a lot?

Try it yourself

Write a sentence or two using what this lesson covered. Not graded -- just for you, saved so you can come back to it.

Pick with a tap, a number key or Space. A Chinese keyboard on your device works in the box below too.

Final review

0/19 answered across this lesson

1. Who interviewed the contestants?

2. Match each 者 word to its meaning.

读者
作者
患者
爱好者
求职者

3. 'Tea and coffee both contain caffeine, but the latter contains more.' Which is right?

4. Complete (characters or pinyin).

这本小说的作 是一位年轻的女作家。(The author of this novel is a young woman writer.)

5. Complete (characters or pinyin).

咖啡和茶，我更喜欢 者，因为它不影响睡觉。(Of coffee and tea I prefer the latter, because it doesn't affect my sleep.)

6. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).

“This textbook is ideal for beginners.”

7. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).

“As consumers, we have the right to know where a product comes from.”

8. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).

“I've learned piano and guitar: the former is harder, the latter is more fun.”

9. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).

“No smoking. Offenders will be fined.”

10. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).

“More and more young people are becoming volunteers.”

11. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).

“The police are appealing to anyone with information to contact them as soon as possible.”

12. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).

“Both have their advantages.”

13. Put the words in order.

Hint: “He is a well-known scholar.”

Tap words below in order

14. Translate into English.

现在的读者更喜欢在手机上看书。 (Xiànzài de dúzhě gèng xǐhuan zài shǒujī shang kàn shū.)

15. A shop won't tell you where a product was made. Insist politely.

Say your answer out loud and record it, then compare it with the model.

Tip: xiāofèizhě: high level, falling, then a full dipping third tone.

16. Your company is choosing between two internal candidates for a team-leader post, and HR has asked you, as their current manager, for a short memo (200–400 characters) comparing them. Use 前者 and 后者 to refer back to the two, at least three 者 nouns, and end with your recommendation.

  • 前者 and 后者 to compare the two without repeating their names
  • At least three 者 nouns (申请者, 管理者, 合作者, 使用者, 支持者)
  • A balanced comparison of strengths and weaknesses, with examples
  • A clear recommendation and a formal close (以上意见仅供参考)

Pick with a tap, a number key or Space. A Chinese keyboard on your device works in the box below too.

0 characters · aim for 200–400

0/19