Overview
"Third person" designates reference to someone or something other than the speaker (first person) and the addressee (second person). In language it appears through pronouns, verb forms, and agreement patterns. In storytelling and media it names point of view where the narrator stands outside the characters. The phrase also yields common compounds such as "third party" in law and commerce.
Grammatical features
Many languages mark third person morphologically. English uses pronouns such as he, she, it, and they, and a present-tense verb ending (-s) for singular third-person subjects. Other languages distinguish gender, animacy, or proximity, or allow omission of an explicit subject (pro-drop) when the person is clear from verb inflection.
Narrative perspectives
In literature and film "third-person" refers to narration from outside the characters. Common modes include:
- Third-person omniscient — a narrator with access to multiple characters' thoughts and knowledge.
- Third-person limited — focus is kept on one character's perceptions and interiority.
- Third-person objective — the narrator reports observable action without inner commentary.
Third-person viewpoint is also used in visual media and video games to place the camera outside and behind a character, contrasting with a first-person viewpoint.
Other uses and distinctions
"Third party" indicates an entity apart from two principal ones, often used in contracts, insurance, and dispute contexts. Linguists contrast third person with inclusive and exclusive distinctions in some languages (usually about first-person plural), and examine how social factors like gender and politeness shape third-person reference.