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的deof; 's (possessive particle)

HSK 1word

By Chinese Copilot · Last updated

的 (de) means a structural particle that links a modifier to a noun. It marks possession, much like English 's, and also connects adjectives or other attributes to the noun they describe. Learners first meet it in patterns such as "my phone" (我的手机) and "beautiful clothes" (漂亮的衣服).

What does 的 mean?

  1. 1.

    of; 's (possessive particle)particle

  2. 2.

    used after an attribute when it modifies a nounparticle

What does the character 的 mean?

  • 的of; 's (possessive particle)

How do you use 的?

Grammar patterns

  1. 1

    Modifier + 的 + Noun

    Put 的 between a possessor, adjective, or other attribute and the noun it modifies. Think of possessive 的 like English 's, and attributive 的 as the link that ties description to the noun.

的 usually sits between the modifier and the noun in both speech and writing; beginners can treat it as the default link for possession and description.

Patterns

  • Pronoun / Noun + 的 + Noun

    她的朋友在学校。

    Tā de péngyou zài xuéxiào.

    Her friend is at school.

  • Adjective + 的 + Noun

    好看的书在桌子上。

    Hǎokàn de shū zài zhuōzi shàng.

    The nice-looking book is on the table.

What are some examples of 的 in a sentence?

  1. HSK 1

    这是我的手机。

    Zhè shì wǒ de shǒujī.

    This is my cell phone.

  2. HSK 1

    我们的老师很忙。

    Wǒmen de lǎoshī hěn máng.

    Our teacher is very busy.

  3. HSK 2

    漂亮的衣服在那儿。

    Piàoliang de yīfu zài nàr.

    The beautiful clothes are over there.

  4. HSK 2

    红色的自行车是他的。

    Hóngsè de zìxíngchē shì tā de.

    The red bicycle is his.

How is 的 different from 得?

的 (de) links a modifier to a noun (possession or description). 得 (de) comes after a verb to introduce a complement that says how the action went.

Only 的 fits here

这是我的手机。

Zhè shì wǒ de shǒujī.

This is my cell phone.

How is 的 used in a conversation?

  1. Speaker A:

    这是谁的书？

    Zhè shì shéi de shū?

    Whose book is this?

  2. Speaker B:

    这是我的书。

    Zhè shì wǒ de shū.

    This is my book.

  3. Speaker A:

    那红色的自行车呢？

    Nà hóngsè de zìxíngchē ne?

    What about that red bicycle?

  4. Speaker B:

    红色的是他的。

    Hóngsè de shì tā de.

    The red one is his.

  5. Speaker A:

    漂亮的衣服是谁的？

    Piàoliang de yīfu shì shéi de?

    Whose are the beautiful clothes?

  6. Speaker B:

    是我朋友的。

    Shì wǒ péngyou de.

    They are my friend's.

Can you use 的 correctly?

0 of 3 answered
  1. 1.Fill in the blank: 这是我___手机。
  2. 2.Fill in the blank: 漂亮___衣服在那儿。
  3. 3.Which sentence uses 的 correctly?

What should you learn next?

Related words

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English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.