“In person” in Chinese – qīnzì

Posted on by tiffany

OneDotDot Chinese
Grammar · HSK 5
Grammar Point · HSK 5

亲自 qīnzì — “In Person”

The phrase “in person” in Chinese is 亲自 qīnzì. It refers to doing something yourself or in one’s own physical presence, rather than through a representative or by some other indirect means.

In person 親自 亲自 qīnzì Chinese grammar

亲自 qīnzì has a small family of related words — 亲耳 qīn’ěr, 亲眼 qīnyǎn, and 亲手 qīnshǒu — each pinning the personal involvement down to a specific sense or body part.

1 Structure

S + 亲自 qīnzì + V + O

这zhè是shì我wǒ亲自qīnzì做zuò的de蛋糕dàngāo
This is a cake I made personally.
你nǐ亲自qīnzì去qù跟gēn他tā说shuō的de吗ma？
Did you personally talk to him?
他tā亲自qīnzì签qiān了le这份zhè fèn合约héyuē
He personally signed this contract.
你nǐ需要xūyào亲自qīnzì去qù接jiē他tā吗ma？
Do you need to pick him up yourself?
我wǒ很hěn确定quèdìng这份zhè fèn工作gōngzuò不是búshì你nǐ亲自qīnzì完成wánchéng的de
I’m pretty sure you didn’t complete this job yourself.

In addition to 亲自 qīnzì, there are other phrases that can be used to emphasize personal involvement in different aspects:

亲耳 qīn’ěr

This phrase emphasizes personally listening or hearing something.

我wǒ亲耳qīněr听到tīngdào了le他的tāde感谢gǎnxiè
I heard his thanks with my own ears.

亲眼 qīnyǎn

This phrase emphasizes personally seeing something.

我wǒ亲眼qīnyǎn见证jiànzhèng了le这zhè一切yíqiè
I witnessed all of this with my own eyes.

亲手 qīnshǒu

This phrase emphasizes personally doing something with one’s own hands.

我wǒ亲手qīnshǒu制作zhìzuò了le这个zhège礼物lǐwù
I handmade this gift.

2 Common Mistakes

亲手 qīnshǒu is specifically for actions done with one’s own hands — using it for something that isn’t a hands-on action sounds off. For general personal involvement, 亲自 qīnzì is the safer, broader choice.

❌
他tā亲手qīnshǒu出席chūxí了le会议huìyì
✅
他tā亲自qīnzì出席chūxí了le会议huìyì
Attending a meeting isn’t something you do “with your hands,” so 亲手 qīnshǒu doesn’t fit. 亲自 qīnzì works for any kind of personal involvement, hands-on or not.

3 Practice

Translate each sentence into Chinese, then tap the card to check your answer.

01Thank you for personally coming to greet me.
谢谢xièxiè你nǐ亲自qīnzì来lái迎接yíngjiē我wǒ
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02This matter requires you to explain it in person.
这件zhè jiàn事shì需要xūyào请qǐng你nǐ亲自qīnzì说明shuōmíng
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03If I didn’t hear it with my own ears, I wouldn’t believe it.
如果rúguǒ不是búshì亲耳qīněr听到tīngdào，我wǒ不会búhuì相信xiāngxìn
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04The boss personally called the customer to apologize.
老板lǎobǎn亲自qīnzì打dǎ电话diànhuà跟gēn客户kèhù道歉dàoqiàn
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05This letter was personally written by the president.
这zhè封fēng信xìn是shì总统zǒngtǒng亲自qīnzì写xiě的de
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06I saw with my own eyes him returning the wallet to its owner.
我wǒ亲眼qīnyǎn看到kàndào他tā把bǎ钱包qiánbāo还huán给gěi失主shīzhǔ
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07Unless I see it with my own eyes, I dare not believe this is real.
除非chúfēi亲眼qīnyǎn看到kàndào，不然bùrán我wǒ不bù敢gǎn相信xiāngxìn这zhè是shì真的zhēnde
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08This sweater was knitted by grandma with her own hands.
这件zhè jiàn毛衣máoyī是shì奶奶nǎinai亲手qīnshǒu织zhī的de
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09I personally planted this tree with my own hands, and now it has grown very tall.
我wǒ亲手qīnshǒu种zhòng了le这zhè棵kē树shù，现在xiànzài它tā已经yǐjīng长得zhǎngde很hěn高gāo了le
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10He heard with his own ears the boss say he would give him a raise.
他tā亲耳qīněr听到tīngdào老板lǎobǎn说shuō要yào帮bāng他tā加薪jiāxīn
👆 Tap to reveal

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