I am really confused with why and when to use たち. It is often used after something like for example 大学生たち but why? What is the difference with just saying 大学生?
You use it when you are referring to more than one of the living beings. 大学生たち(university students), 大学生(university student).
It’s a plural. But it mainly refers to particular groups of people (or animals). In this case, it’s like saying “that group of uni students” instead of “uni students in general” (or one uni student).
you’ll also see e.g. 私たち to mean “us”, but more accurately it’s “me and my group” – that could be “me and my family” or “me and my friends”. I mean 90% of the time that’s what “us” means in English too but it’s still useful to point it out, because then when you see something like 田中さんたち it’s more obvious that it doesn’t refer to multiple Tanaka-sans (I mean, it *could*, if you were at like, a conference where everyone is called Tanaka-san), but to Tanaka-san and their family/friends/coworkers.
examples:
大学生は迷惑する – Students cause trouble
大学生たちはうるさい – (The) Students (around here) are noisy
大学生になりたい – I want to be a student
大学生と長く議論した – I had a lengthy discussion with the student(s) (I guess this one can be plural? Depends on the context)
大学生たちと長く議論した – I had a length discussion with (those|my|the) students
2 comments
You use it when you are referring to more than one of the living beings. 大学生たち(university students), 大学生(university student).
It’s a plural. But it mainly refers to particular groups of people (or animals). In this case, it’s like saying “that group of uni students” instead of “uni students in general” (or one uni student).
you’ll also see e.g. 私たち to mean “us”, but more accurately it’s “me and my group” – that could be “me and my family” or “me and my friends”. I mean 90% of the time that’s what “us” means in English too but it’s still useful to point it out, because then when you see something like 田中さんたち it’s more obvious that it doesn’t refer to multiple Tanaka-sans (I mean, it *could*, if you were at like, a conference where everyone is called Tanaka-san), but to Tanaka-san and their family/friends/coworkers.
examples:
大学生は迷惑する – Students cause trouble
大学生たちはうるさい – (The) Students (around here) are noisy
大学生になりたい – I want to be a student
大学生と長く議論した – I had a lengthy discussion with the student(s) (I guess this one can be plural? Depends on the context)
大学生たちと長く議論した – I had a length discussion with (those|my|the) students
昨日、大学生がここにきた – Yesterday a student came here