彼

Distal demonstrative indicating the "other" or that which is distant relative to the speaker's position. This includes:

• Spatial: A physical location away from the speaker ("there").
• Temporal/Conceptual: A time or state distinct from the present or immediate.
• Pronominal: Third-person reference ("he," "she," "it," or "they").
• Abstract: The concept of externality or the boundary between self and other.

• Modifier: When preceding a noun, functions as "that [noun]."
• Substantive: Standing alone as the subject or object of a sentence ("that one," "he," "they").
• Adverbial: Functions as an adverb of place ("there" or "at that place").

Functions in a fundamental binary with 此 (cǐ, "this/here"). In dialogue, it may be used to refer to a third party not present or to address an interlocutor specifically to create psychological distance.

• Number: The glyph does not mark number; whether the reference is singular or plural must be determined by context, logic, or the verb.
• Tone: In argumentative or polemical texts, consistent use of 彼 can signal detachment, dismissal, or a deliberate framing of the subject as "the other."