noun/pronoun (possessor) + 的 + noun (possession)
Mandarin Chinese Articles
How to use the structural particles 的 (de), 地 (de), and 得 (de) in Mandarin Chinese?
By: Lina Shen Fri Aug 30 2024
Mandarin chineseStructural Particles
The three de’s, 的, 地, and 得 are some of the most common words in the Mandarin Chinese language, but because they all sound identical spoken aloud (de), and because they pop up everywhere in many different contexts, they can be some of the more frustrating words to try and master. But have no fear! In this post, we will look at the many uses of these three de’s, such as expressing possession, turning adjectives into adverbs, acting as verbal complements, and more!
Table of Contents
What are particles in Mandarin Chinese?
The three de’s all belong to a type of word called particles. Particles are words that are added to another word, phrase, or at the end of a sentenceNo definition set for sentenceLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. to indicate different supplementary meanings, grammatical relations, or moods. In Chinese, particles are called 助词 (zhù cí). Literally, these are “helping words.” They do not have any certain meaning themselves and cannot be used alone.
Think of particles as tools that you can use to build longer and more varied sentences. Look at this example broken down into steps:
Start with a thing: 球 (qiú, (the) ball)
Add a simple description: 红色 (hóngsè, red)
Combine them into a noun phrase: 红色的球 (hóngsè de qiú, the red ball)
Add a verb: 滚走了 (gǔnzǒu le, rolled away)
Combine your work so far: 红色的球滚走了。 (hóngsè de qiú gǔnzǒu le, The red ball rolled away.)
Now turn it into a question: 红色的球滚走了吗? (hóngsè de qiú gǔnzǒu le ma, Did the red ball roll away?)
What are all these phrases about? A red ball that rolled away. What do the highlighted words — the particles 的 (de), 了 (le), and 吗 (ma) mean? Do they mean "red"? No, that's 红色 (hóngsè). Do they mean “ball”? No, that’s 球 (qiú). Do they mean “roll away”? No, that’s 滚走 (gǔnzǒu).
So what do these words mean? Well, the better question is, “what do these words do?”
What are the types of particles in Mandarin?
Particles are function words; they perform a function in a sentence. Let’s take a look at these three different functions:
The structural particles, 结构助词 (jiégòu zhù cí), are added to words or phrases to indicate certain grammatical relations. They are:
的 (de)地 (de)得 (de)The Mandarin aspectual particles, 动态助词 (dòngtài zhù cí, verb tense particle), are added to verbsNo definition set for verbsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. to indicate when they take place and/or the status of their completion. They are:
了 (le)着 (zhe)过 (guo)The modal particles, 语气助词 (yǔqì zhù cí), are used in the end of a sentence to indicate many different kinds of meanings about the mood, tone, or awareness of the speaker. The modal particles are:
吗 (ma)呢 (ne)吧 (ba)了 (le)啊 (a)
We discuss all these particles in various posts so make sure you check out all of them! In this post, however, we will discuss the three structural particles. Let’s begin!
How to use the particle 的 (de) in Mandarin?
In Mandarin, the particle 的 (de) can be used for three different functions:
To indicate possession
To describe nouns
To turn verbs into nouns
Possessive 的 (de)
In Mandarin, 的 (de) is used to indicate a relationship of possessor/possession, equivalent to the apostrophe + “s” (’s) in English. For example, “Sarah’s house,” in Mandarin is 莎拉的房子 (shāla de fángzi). 的 (de) is placed between 莎拉 and 房子 to indicate the possession.
我的书被我的狗吃了。
(Wǒ de shū bèi wǒ de gǒu chī le.)
My book was eaten by my dog.
今天的天气真好啊！
(Jīntiān de tiānqì zhēnhǎo a.)
Today’s weather is so pleasant.
学校的电话号码是什么？
(Xuéxiào de diànhuà hàomǎ shì shénme.)
What is the telephone number of the school?
他的妹妹在哪里学汉语？
(Tā de mèimei zài nǎli xué hànyǔ. )
Where does his younger sister learn Mandarin Chinese?
Exception!
One exception is for family members (pets are not included here) and close relationships (husband and wife, best/boy/girl friends, colleagues and bosses): 的 (de) can be omitted. Let’s look at the last example above: "他的妹妹在哪里学汉语?" You can often say "他妹妹" instead of "他的妹妹."
How to use the attributive 的 (de) to describe nouns?
The attributive 的 (de) is used after adjectivesNo definition set for adjectivesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., location words, and even whole phrases to describe nounsNo definition set for nounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum..
Describing a noun with an adjective
The attributive particle 的 (de) in Mandarin is mostly used after adjectives to describe objects or people, ideas etc.
The pattern is:
adjective/noun phrase + 的 (de) + noun
这件蓝色的外衣很好看。
(Zhèjiàn lánsè de wàiyī hěn hǎokàn.)
This blue coat is pretty.
你喜欢这只可爱的小猫吗？
(Nǐ xǐhuan zhèzhī kě'ài de xiǎomāo ma.)
Do you like this cute kitten?
我希望我能有一辆超级酷的跑车。
(Wǒ xīwàng wǒ néng yǒu yíliàng chāojí kù de pǎochē.)
I wish I could have a super cool sports car.
Describing a noun with locations
To describe a noun with location words, you use the following pattern:
location + 的 (de) + noun
桌子上的台灯
(zhuōzi shàng de táidēng)
the lamp on the table
冰箱里的剩菜
(bīngxiāng lǐ de shèngcài)
the leftovers in the fridge
Describing the noun with a phrase (aka relative clauses)
A relative clause provides information about the person or thing mentioned. English often uses relative pronouns to link the noun and the relative clause: “that,” “which,” “who,” “whom,” etc. For example, “The person who sits next to me is my friend.” In English, the noun, which in our example is “the person” and is the item being modified, tends to go before the relative clause “who sits next to me,” which is also called “modifier.” However, in Mandarin, the word order is reversed: modifier + item being modified.
The pattern is:
relative clause + 的 (de) + noun
我妈妈做的饺子很好吃。
(Wǒ māma zuò de jiǎozi hěn hǎochī.)
The dumplings that my mother makes are delicious.
(lit.) my mother-make-de-dumpling-very-good-eat.
In the above sentence, 饺子 (jiǎozi, dumpling) is the noun (item being modified), 的 (de) is the marker for a relative clause, an 我妈妈做 (wǒ māma zuò, my mother makes) is the relative clause (modifier). The marker 的 is universal and unchanged in Mandarin, unlike in English (e.g., “that,” “who,” “where,” among others). More examples:
打电话的人是我的朋友。
(Dǎ diànhuà de rén shì wǒ de péngyou.)
The person who made the call is my friend.
(lit.) make-call-de-person-is-my-friend.
老师讲的课很难懂。
(Wǒ zuótiān kàn dào de rén jīntiān méiyǒu lái.)
The person that I saw yesterday didn’t come today.
(lit.) I-yesterday-see-de-person-today-not-come
那个穿红衣服的女人是我朋友。
(Nàgè chuān hóng yīfú de nǚrén shì wǒ péngyou.)
The woman in red is my friend.
(lit.) That-wear-red-cloth-de-woman-is-my-friend.
How to use the attributive 的 (de) as a nominalizer
You can add 的 (de) after a verb or a verb phrase and turn it into a noun. The noun can be omitted.
The pattern is:
verb (or verb phrase) + 的 + (noun)
老师走进教室的时候，打架的 (学生)、说话的 (学生) 都停了下来。
(Lǎoshī zǒujìn jiàoshì de shíhòu, dǎjià de (xuésheng) shuōhuà de (xuésheng) dōu tíng le xiàlái.)
When the teacher walked in the classroom, (the student) who was fighting and talking stopped.
你手里拿的 (东西) 是什么？
(Nǐ shǒuli ná de (dōngxi) shì shénme.)
What is (the stuff) you are holding?
你带吃的 (东西) 了吗？
(Nǐ dài chī de dōngxi le ma.)
Did you bring (stuff) to eat?
In the examples above, 的 (de) connects the verbs, for example 吃 (chī, to eat) from the ast example above, to the nouns, for example 东西 (dōngxi, stuff) from the same example, and the whole phrase means something like “what you eat” or “eating stuff.” In this construction, the nouns 学生 (xuésheng, student) and 东西 (dōngxi, stuff) can be omitted in Mandarin to avoid repeating the nouns unnecessarily, though not in English.
How to use 的 (de) to add certainty to a statement in Mandarin?
的 (de) is used in the end of a phrase or a statement to add certainty. Let’s look at the most used patterns:
是的 (shìde, yes) | 妈妈：这是你的脏袜子吗？ (Māma: zhè shì nǐ de zāng wàzi ma?) Mom: Are these your dirty socks? | 儿子：是的，是我的。 (Érzi: shìde, shì wǒ de.) Son: Yes, they are mine. |
|---|---|---|
好的 (hǎode, Sure/OK) | 学生：老师，您能再说一遍吗？ (Xuéshēng: lǎoshī, nín néng zài shuō yíbiàn ma?) Student: Can you say it again, please? | 老师：好的，没问题。 (Lǎoshī: hǎode, méi wèntí.) Teacher: Sure, no problem. |
Using 的 (de) with fixed phrases and sentence patterns
By far, the most common fixed phrases used with 的 (de) are:
有的... , 有的... (yǒude…, yǒude...)
This sentence pattern is equivalent to “some… others…” in English. For example:
有的学生学习汉语，有的学生学习法语。
(Yǒude xuésheng xuéxí hànyǔ, yǒude xuésheng xuéxí fǎyǔ.)
Some students study Chinese, others study French.
These sentences in English and in Chinese work the same. In both sentences, both the first part ("some" or 有的 (yǒude)) and the second part ("others" or 有的 (yǒude)) are followed by a subject (学生 (xuésheng, students)) and a predicate (学习 (xuéxí, to study)).
是… 的 (shì… de)
his sentence pattern is used to emphasize details like time, manner, or place. The basic pattern is:
subject + 是 + the part to be emphasized + verb + (object) + 的。
Here are a few examples:
我儿子是前年出生的。
(Wǒ érzi shì qiánnián chūshēng de.)
My son was born the year before last.
(Here, it emphasizes the time, "the year before last.")
他是坐飞机去美国的。
(Tā shì zuò fēijī qù měiguó de.)
He went to America by plane.
(Here, it emphasizes the manner.)
我是在中国学汉语的。
(Wǒ shì zài zhōngguó xué hànyǔ de.)
I learned Chinese in China.
(Here, it emphasizes the place.)
… 的时候 (...de shíhòu)
This sentence pattern is equivalent to “when/while….” in English. For example:
我还是大学生的时候，我就看过这本小说了。
(Wǒ háishì dàxuésheng de shíhòu, wǒ jiù kànguo zhè běn xiǎoshuō le.)
When I was a college student, I read this novel.
下雨的时候，他们喜欢在家看电影。
(Xiàyǔ de shíhòu, tāmen xǐhuan zàijiā kàn diànyǐng.)
When it’s raining, they like to watch movies at home.
How to use the particle 地 (de)
In Mandarin Chinese, the particle 地 (de) is used to turn adjectives into adverbs, just like “-ly” does at the end of many English adverbs, such as “quickly,” “slowly,” and “happily.” The pattern is:
adjective/adverb + 地 (de) + verb
我哥哥快快地吃完饭去上班了。
(Wǒ gēge kuàikuai de chī wán fàn qù shàngbān le.)
My older brother quickly finished his meal and went to work.
你应该认真地听老师讲课。
(Nǐ yīnggāi rènzhēn de tīng lǎoshī jiǎngkè.)
You should listen to your teacher earnestly.
大家兴奋地谈论着下个星期的旅行计划。
(Dàjiā xīngfèn de tánlùn zhe xiàge xīngqī de lǚxíng jìhuà.)
Everyone is talking about next week’s travel plans excitedly.
Important
Word order! When we say, “She walks slowly” in Mandarin, we need to put “slowly” before the verb “walks.” So the sentence in Mandarin will be 她慢慢地走 (Tā mànman de zǒu, literally: "she slowly walks").
How to use the particle 得 (de) as a verbal complement?
A verbal complement is a word that completes a verb by indicating the manner in which it is either done or not done.
How to use 得 (de) in the potential complement
The potential complement is attached to a verb to show whether an action can or can't happen; if the action can happen, 得 is added between the verb and the potential complement. The pattern is:
verb + 得 + potential complement
你听得懂我说的话吗？
(Nǐ tīng de dǒng wǒ shuō de huà ma?)
Can you understand what I say?
Here the verb 听 (tīng, to listen) goes with 得 (de) and then we add the potential complement 懂 (dǒng, to understand) to indicate if someone can listen and understand something. The literal meaning of this sentence is: You listen and can understand what I say?
他看得懂这本小说吗？
(Tā néng kàn dǒng zhè běn xiǎoshuō ma?)
Can he understand this novel?
(lit.) He reads and can understand this novel?
这个小孩吃得完这么多饭啊?！
(Zhège xiǎohái chī de wán zhème duō fàn a.)
This kid can eat that much food?!
(lit.) The kid eats and can finish that much food?!
How to use 得 (de) in the degree complement
The degree complement (sometimes categorized as “descriptive complement") is attached to a verb to add descriptive information to the verb or to talk about the extent/degree to which the action goes. In this case, 得 (de) is used between a verb and an adjective. For example, in 做得好 (zuò de hǎo, did well), 得 (de) is added between the verb 做 (zuò, to do) and the adjective 好 (hǎo, good), to indicate that something is well done. The pattern is:
verb + 得 + adjective
你做得好！
(Nǐ zuò de hǎo!)
You did it well!
你的汉语说得标准！
(Nǐ de hànyǔ shuō de biāozhǔn!)
Your Chinese is standard.
她今天晚饭吃得饱吗？
(Tā jīntiān wánfàn chī de bǎo ma?)
Did she have enough to eat tonight?
Apart from being used as a particle, 得 (de) can also be used as a verb, pronounced as “dé” and “děi.”
得 as dé
得 as dé is used as a verb, meaning “to get, to acquire.” Sometimes we also use 得到 (dédào) to mean the same thing. For example:
他的数学考试得/得到了满分。
(Tā de shùxué kǎoshì dé/dédào le mǎnfēn.)
He got full marks in the math exam.
孩子们得/得到了礼物，他们高兴极了。
(Háizi men dé/dédào le lǐwù, tāmen gāoxìng jí le.)
The kids got gifts and they were so happy.
得 as děi
得 as děi is used as a verb too, and is equivalent to "must, have to" in English. You probably will see a different pattern like this: 不得不 (bù dé bù). Guess what? They are mostly used the same way, but 得 is pronounced as dé in 不得不 (bù dé bù).
得 (děi) = 不得不 (bù dé bù) = have to
For example:
要下雨了，我现在得赶紧回家了。
(Yào xiàyǔ le, wǒ xiànzài děi gǎnjǐn huíjiā le.)
It’s going to rain. I have to go home now.
他不得不在晚饭前做完功课。
(Tā bù dé bú zài wǎnfàn qián zuò wán gōngkè.)
He has to finish homework before dinner.
To sum up
In this post we covered the uses of the three de’s:
Use 的:
to show possession
to describe nouns with an adjective, a location word or phrase, a relative clause
to turn a verb or verb phrase into a noun
to add certainty to a statement
with fixed phrases and sentence patterns
Use 地:
to turn adjectives into adverbs
Use 得:
in the potential complement
in the degree complement
We also saw that 得, pronounced dé, means “to get, to acquire,” and 得 pronounced děi, means “must, have to.”
The three de’s take a lot of practice, but fortunately they crop up all the time, so just keep on learning Mandarin and you will get that practice! Check out our activities for more practice!
Downloadable Resources
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How to use the structural particles 的 (de), 地 (de), and 得 (de) in Mandarin Chinese~Activities
