Kilo Lingo
Mandarin grammar Part of Chapter 16

CEFR A2-B1

4 min read

Test yourself (19 questions)

The Three de in Mandarin: 的 vs 得 vs 地

By Michael McGettrick and Wee Khang LinUpdated 12 October 2026

(de), (de) and (de) are all said de, with no tone. Position decides which you write: (de) before a noun, (de) after a verb, (de) before a verb. In speech you never have to choose; in writing you always do.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Which de does standard writing use? Look at what comes next.

  1. 这是我手机。 (This is my phone.)

    zhè shì wǒ ___ shǒu jī 。 (This is my phone.)

  2. 他跑很快。 (He runs fast.)

    tā pǎo ___ hěn kuài 。 (He runs fast.)

  3. 他慢慢走了。 (He walked off slowly.)

    tā màn màn ___ zǒu le 。 (He walked off slowly.)

The whole system on one screen

The colours stay the same all page long:

的 de (a noun follows)得 de (after the verb: how it went)地 de (a verb follows: how it is done)What do the colours mean?
Before
de
After
HanziPinyinEnglish
wǒ de shūmy book
。Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.He runs fast
。Tā mànmàn de zǒu.He walks slowly

Look at the words either side. (de) points forward to a noun, (de) back to a verb, (de) forward to a verb.

的 (de): before a noun

的 de (a noun follows)What do the colours mean?

Whatever comes before (de), a pronoun, an adjective or a whole clause, describes the noun after it:

HanziPinyinEnglish
wǒ de shūmy book
lǎoshī de huàwhat the teacher said
hěn piàoliang de yīfuvery pretty clothes
wǒ zuótiān mǎi de shūthe book I bought yesterday

The noun can drop when it is obvious: 。 (zhè běn shū shì wǒ de), this book is mine. The clause kind is on relative clauses with 的, and when (de) is left out on possession with 的.

得 (de): after a verb

得 de (after the verb: how it went)What do the colours mean?

(de) points back at the verb or adjective in front of it. What follows says how it went, how far it went, or whether it can happen:

HanziPinyinEnglish
。Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.He runs fast
。Tā shuō Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo.She speaks Chinese very well
。Wǒmen wán de hěn gāoxìng.We had a great time
。Tā gāoxìng de tiào le qǐlái.He was so happy he jumped up
。Wǒ kàn de jiàn.I can see it

With an object, say the verb twice, as in the second row. The details are on complements and potential complements.

地 (de): before a verb

地 de (a verb follows: how it is done)What do the colours mean?

(de) turns the word before it into the way the next verb is done, like English "-ly":

HanziPinyinEnglish
。Tā mànmàn de zǒu.He walks slowly
。Tā gāoxìng de xiào le.She laughed happily
。Tā rènzhēn de xuéxí.He studies conscientiously
。Háizimen dàshēng de chànggē.The children sing loudly

The description always comes first, the verb last: the reverse of (de).

地 (de) or 得 (de): before or after the verb?

得 de (after the verb: how it went)地 de (a verb follows: how it is done)What do the colours mean?

This is the pair that blurs, because both attach "how" to an action. The words barely change; the side of the verb does:

HanziPinyinEnglish
。Tā mànmàn de zǒu.He walks slowly
。Tā zǒu de hěn màn.He walks slowly (he's a slow walker)
。Háizimen gāoxìng de wán le yì tiān.The children played happily all day
。Háizimen wán de hěn gāoxìng.The children had a great time

(de) sets the manner before the action starts. (de) comments on how it went, or how it usually goes. English often uses one sentence for both.

When 地 (de) and 的 (de) drop

的 de (a noun follows)得 de (after the verb: how it went)地 de (a verb follows: how it is done)What do the colours mean?

(de) is the most droppable. After a doubled adjective or many two-syllable words it is often left out, and one-syllable adverbs never take it:

HanziPinyinEnglish
。Mànmàn zǒu.Walk slowly (also: take care, to a guest leaving)
。Nǔlì xuéxí.Study hard
。Tā yě qù.He's going too

Adverbs such as (yě), (dōu) and (hěn) go straight before the verb, with no (de). (de) drops in set pairs: (wǒ māma), my mum; (Zhōngwén shū), a Chinese book; (hǎo rén), a good person.

(de) is the one standard writing keeps: 。 You will hear (tā pǎo hěn kuài) in casual speech, above all in the south and in Taiwan, but write the (de).

Native slips, and Taiwan

Because all three sound the same, native writers mix them up too, above all by writing (de) for the other two. Standard Mainland writing keeps them apart, and exams expect it:

WhereHanziPinyin
Mainland standardmànmàn de zǒu
Common in Taiwanmànmàn de zǒu
Casual, onlinetā pǎo de hěn kuài

In Taiwan, (de) before a verb is widespread and is not treated as a slip the way it is in Mainland schools. Learn the Mainland split, and do not mark the Taiwan habit wrong when you meet it.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
。。after a verb, standard writing uses (de); (de) is a common slip
a noun follows, so (de)
。。a verb follows, so (de)
。。say the verb again before (de)

What to do next

  1. Do the drill below.
  2. Write one phrase with each de: my phone, runs fast, walks slowly.
  3. Then read relative clauses with 的, where a whole clause goes before (de).

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/6

Which de does standard writing use? Look at what comes next.

  1. 这是我手机。 (This is my phone.)

    zhè shì wǒ ___ shǒu jī 。 (This is my phone.)

  2. 他跑很快。 (He runs fast.)

    tā pǎo ___ hěn kuài 。 (He runs fast.)

  3. 他慢慢走了。 (He walked off slowly.)

    tā màn màn ___ zǒu le 。 (He walked off slowly.)

  4. 她说中文说很好。 (She speaks Chinese very well.)

    tā shuō zhōng wén shuō ___ hěn hǎo 。 (She speaks Chinese very well.)

  5. 这是我昨天买书。 (This is the book I bought yesterday.)

    zhè shì wǒ zuó tiān mǎi ___ shū 。 (This is the book I bought yesterday.)

  6. 他认真学习。 (He studies conscientiously.)

    tā rèn zhēn ___ xué xí 。 (He studies conscientiously.)

Complete the story

0/5

Choose the de standard writing uses in each gap.

My friend Xiaoming

小明是我好朋友。他跑很快，唱歌也唱很好。今天他很高兴对我说：我有一个很漂亮女朋友！

Gap 1 of 5

Spot the mistake

0/3

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

  1. tā pǎo de hěn kuài 。

  2. zhè shì wǒ zuó tiān mǎi dì shū 。

  3. tā rèn zhēn de xué xí 。

Matching

0/5

Match each phrase to its English.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between , and in Mandarin?
All three are said de. links a description to a noun: (piàoliang de yīfu), pretty clothes. links a verb to how it went: (pǎo de hěn kuài), run fast. turns a description into the way a following verb is done: (mànmàn de zǒu), walk slowly.
How can I tell which de to use?
Look at the words either side. A noun after it: . A verb before it, with a comment on how it went after: . A verb after it, with the way it is done before: .
Do Chinese people mix up , and ?
Yes, in casual writing: often stands in for all three, because they sound the same. Standard writing and exams keep them apart, so learn the difference. In Taiwan, before a verb () is common in writing too.
What is the difference between and ?
Which side of the verb the description sits. puts it before the verb: (tā mànmàn de zǒu), he walks slowly. puts it after: (tā zǒu de hěn màn), he walks slowly, a comment on his walking. English often says the same thing for both.
Can you leave out or ?
Often. commonly drops after a doubled adjective or a two-syllable word: (mànmàn zǒu), (nǔlì xuéxí). drops in set pairs such as (wǒ māma) and (Zhōngwén shū). Standard writing keeps the of (pǎo de hěn kuài).