How to Say “Each Other” with 彼此 (bǐcǐ)
彼此 (bǐcǐ) means “each other / one another,” but unlike 互相 it's a pronoun, so it fills noun slots: the object of a verb (信任彼此), the object of a preposition (对彼此), or an attributive with 的 (彼此的感受, “each other's feelings”). Before a verb, 彼此 and 互相 are interchangeable (我们互相信任 = 我们信任彼此); everywhere else, only 彼此 works. Reduplicated, 彼此彼此 is a set reply meaning “likewise / same here.”
Why this trips learners up
彼此 (bǐcǐ) is the word to reach for when you want to say “each other” and put it in an object slot. It's literally “that-and-this” (彼 is an old word for 那 “that,” 此 means 这 “this”), and the key fact is that it's a pronoun, not an adverb. That single difference is what separates it from 互相 (hùxiāng), the reciprocal adverb most learners meet first. 互相 can only stand before a verb (我们互相帮助); 彼此, being a pronoun, goes wherever a noun can go.
So 彼此 takes the object slot after a verb: 我们应该尊重彼此 (“we should respect each other”), 好朋友会照顾彼此. One catch worth remembering: as an object, 彼此 prefers a two-syllable verb. 帮助彼此 sounds right; the bare single-syllable 帮彼此 sounds unfinished, so you'd either pad it (帮助彼此) or switch to the adverb (互相帮忙). 彼此 also sits after prepositions, where 互相 can't follow at all: 对彼此很了解 (“know each other well”), 为彼此着想 (“think of each other”), 把彼此当成家人 (“treat each other as family”).
The other thing only 彼此 can do is build a noun phrase with 的: 彼此的 + Noun = “each other's …”. 我们尊重彼此的选择 (“we respect each other's choices”), 我们很好奇彼此的近况 (“we're curious about each other's news”). You cannot say 互相的选择, because 互相 is an adverb and adverbs don't take 的. This is the cleanest test of the two: if the English is “each other's something,” it has to be 彼此的, never 互相.
Two more notes. 彼此 can also be the subject or topic of its own clause (我们才见一面，彼此还不太熟, “we've only met once, we don't really know each other yet”). And when you double it, 彼此彼此 becomes a fixed, idiomatic reply meaning “likewise / same here / we're all in the same boat” (你辛苦了。彼此彼此。). So the whole picture: before a verb, 互相 or 彼此; in an object slot, after a preposition, or with 的, only 彼此.
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
wǒmen 我们 Subject cái 才 Adverb jiàn le yí miàn 见了一面 Verb bǐcǐ ，彼此 Pattern hái 还 Adverb bú 不 Negation tài 太 Adverb shú 熟 Adjective
We've only met once, so we still don't know each other very well (彼此 as subject/topic).
wǒmen 我们 Subject yīnggāi 应该 Function word zūnzhòng 尊重 Verb bǐcǐ 彼此 Pattern
We should respect each other (彼此 as the object of a two-syllable verb).
hǎo de bànlǚ 好的伴侣 Subject huì 会 Function word kǎolǜ 考虑 Verb bǐcǐ 彼此 Pattern de 的 Function word gǎnshòu 感受 Object
Good partners consider each other's feelings (彼此的 + noun).
tāmen 他们 Subject shì 是 Verb jìngzhēng duìshǒu 竞争对手 Object dàn ，但 Connector bǐcǐ 彼此 Pattern dōu 都 Adverb hěn 很 Adverb zūnzhòng 尊重 Verb
They're rivals, but they respect each other (彼此 as topic with 都).
rènshi zhème duō nián 认识这么多年 Other tāmen ，他们 Subject zǎo jiù 早就 Adverb bǎ 把 Function word bǐcǐ 彼此 Pattern dàngchéng 当成 Verb jiārén 家人 Object le 了 Function word
Having known each other so many years, they long ago came to treat each other as family (把彼此…).
fēnkāi duō nián hòu chóngféng 分开多年后重逢 Time wǒmen ，我们 Subject dōu 都 Adverb hěn 很 Adverb hàoqí 好奇 Verb bǐcǐ 彼此 Pattern de 的 Function word jìnkuàng 近况 Object
Reuniting after years apart, we were both curious about each other's news (彼此的近况).
dàjiā 大家 Subject dōu 都 Adverb xīnkǔ 辛苦 Adjective le 了 Function word bǐcǐ bǐcǐ ，彼此彼此 Pattern shéi yě ，谁也 Subject bié 别 Negation tài 太 Adverb kèqi 客气 Adjective
Everyone worked hard, we're all in the same boat, so no need to stand on ceremony (the idiom 彼此彼此).
fūqī zhī jiān 夫妻之间 Subject yào 要 Function word hùxiāng 互相 Adverb bāoróng 包容 Verb duō ，多 Adverb zhàn zài 站在 Verb bǐcǐ 彼此 Pattern de 的 Function word jiǎodù 角度 Object xiǎng wèntí 想问题 Verb
Married couples should be tolerant of each other and think more from each other's point of view (互相 + 彼此的 together).
Common mistakes
Why it happens: 互相 is an adverb, so it can't sit in the object slot. “Look after each other” is 照顾彼此 (verb + the pronoun 彼此) or 互相照顾 (the adverb before the verb), never 照顾互相. If “each other” lands after the verb, you need the pronoun 彼此.
Why it happens: “Each other's X” has to be 彼此的 X, because only a pronoun can take 的. 互相的感受 is wrong, 互相 is an adverb and adverbs don't build noun phrases. Say 彼此的感受 (“each other's feelings”). The 的 test is the quickest way to tell the two apart.
Why it happens: As an object, 彼此 wants a two-syllable verb. The single-syllable 帮彼此 sounds bare, so pad the verb to 帮助彼此, or use the adverb instead (互相帮忙). Disyllabic verbs (信任, 照顾, 尊重, 帮助) sit comfortably in front of 彼此.
Compare & contrast
| 互相 hùxiāng (the reciprocal ADVERB, only before a verb) | 彼此 bǐcǐ (the reciprocal PRONOUN, fills object / 的-attributive slots) | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 我们互相信任wǒmen hùxiāng xìnrèn = “we trust each other” (互相 + verb) | 我们信任彼此wǒmen xìnrèn bǐcǐ = “we trust each other” (verb + 彼此, the object) | 我们互相信任 and 我们信任彼此 both mean “we trust each other.” Before the verb, the adverb 互相 and the pronoun 彼此 are interchangeable, 互相 modifying 信任, 彼此 sitting as its object. This is the one place the two genuinely overlap. |
| 互相帮助hùxiāng bāngzhù = “help each other” (a verb phrase) | 彼此的帮助bǐcǐ de bāngzhù = “each other’s help” (a noun phrase; 互相的帮助 ✗) | 互相帮助 is a verb phrase, “help each other,” with 互相 modifying the verb. 彼此的帮助 is a noun phrase, “each other's help,” with 彼此 taking 的 to modify 帮助. Only the pronoun 彼此 can do this, 互相的帮助 is not possible, because adverbs don't take 的. |
Try it yourself
Say “We should respect each other,” putting “each other” in the object slot. Use 彼此.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Say “Each Other” with 彼此 (bǐcǐ) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.