1. Home
  2. Grammar Points
  3. Expressing possession with 的 ("de")

Expressing possession with 的 ("de")

的 de

Particle
HSK 1

Structure

Noun 1 + 的 + Noun 2

Translations

  • My
  • His
  • Her
  • Their
  • Our

Definition

表示所属关系，用于连接定语和中心语，是中文中最常用的结构助词之一。

Indicates possession or attribution, linking a modifier to a noun. It is one of the most common structural particles in Chinese.

Usage

的用于名词、代词、形容词或短语之后，修饰或限定后面的名词，表示所有关系或属性。例如：'我' + '的' + '书' = '我的书'（my book）。注意：当关系非常紧密（如亲属、单位等）或修饰词为单音节形容词时，有时可省略的，但一般情况下需使用。

的 is used after nouns, pronouns, adjectives, or phrases to modify or specify the following noun, indicating possession or attribute. E.g., 'I' + '的' + 'book' = '我的书' (my book). Note: When the relationship is very close (like family, workplace) or with monosyllabic adjectives, 的 can sometimes be omitted, but generally it is required.

Examples

  • 1 这是我的书。(This is my book.)
  • 2 他是一位很聪明的学生。(He is a very smart student.)
  • 3 昨天的电影很好看。(Yesterday's movie was very good.)
  • 4 红色的车是我的。(The red car is mine.)
  • 5 老师的办公室在二楼。(The teacher's office is on the second floor.)
  • 6 妹妹的朋友来了。(Sister's friend came.)

Put it into practice

Exam-style HSK drills with instant scoring and explanations.

Find my HSK level

Free · about 3 minutes · no account needed