‘别人’ (bié rén) literally combines 别 (bié), meaning ‘other’ or ‘different’, and 人 (rén), meaning ‘person’. Together, it functions as a collective noun or indefinite pronoun meaning ‘other people’ — referring to people besides the speaker, listener, or those already mentioned. It is not used for specific individuals (for which you’d use names or demonstratives like 那个人), but rather for general, unspecified others in contrast to ‘me’, ‘you’, or ‘us’.

This word frequently appears in comparisons (e.g., 别人比我聪明), advice (e.g., 不要总跟别人比), or statements about social norms (e.g., 别人帮了你，你要说谢谢). It carries no inherent positive or negative connotation, though context — especially tone and accompanying verbs — can imply judgment, humility, or defensiveness. It’s neutral in register and widely used in spoken and written Mandarin across all age groups.