「たち」Refer to multiple people

「たち」Refer to multiple people

A group of people

The suffix 達(たち), often written as たち​, can be used to pluralize people. It is important to note that it cannot be used for objects!

You will often see it attached to first person pronouns, such as 私(わたし), 僕(ぼく), and 俺(おれ), turning I into we.

But it can also be used with second person pronouns, like あなた​, 君(きみ) or お​前(まえ), forming a plural you, akin to y’all or you guys.

Lastly, it can also be attached to third person pronouns and nouns that refer to people.

However, it is important not to fixate too much on the English translation of teachers. This does not fully encapsulate the essence of たち​. For instance, one could say 山田(やまだ)さん​たち​, but this does not mean the Yamada-sans as in a group of people named Yamada. If you view たち​ as a noun that refers to a group of people, you more closely approach the underlying meaning.

In effect, by adding たち​ you refer to the group, but single out one person who represents them.

Formation