(de) - of, possessive and modifier particle in Mandarin
deTraditional: 的
Translation
of, possessive and modifier particle
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Word origin
的 is a phono-semantic compound: 白 (white) is the meaning element and 勺 (sháo) the phonetic. It originally referred to a bright target or bullseye, then was borrowed as the very common possessive and modifier particle 'de'.
- Origin
- phono-semantic compound
- Root
- 白 (bái, white) + 勺 (sháo, phonetic)
Stroke order
的
Examples
。
This is my book.
。
Her mother is very nice.
。
The red car is very pretty.
。
This is the teacher's chair.
。
My elder brother's room is very messy.
的 (de) is the most common particle in Mandarin, marking possession and modification.
Where this fits
Appears in 8 words
Multi-character compounds in the corpus that contain 的.
Used in
Stories
(60)一人120
1 min read · Core 1000
谁的椅子？
1 min read · Core 1000
孙老师说可以
1 min read · Core 1000
发错了
2 min read · Core 1000
两碗米饭
2 min read · Core 1000
买票
2 min read · Core 5000
面试
2 min read · Core 5000
我只想买花
2 min read · Core 1000
天安门在哪儿？
2 min read · Core 5000
在饭馆
2 min read · Core 5000
在浩轩的家
2 min read · Core 5000
小宇妈妈
2 min read · Core 1000
错过公交车
3 min read · Core 1000
电影还是公园
3 min read · Core 5000
小公园里的音乐
3 min read · Core 1000
看医生
3 min read · Core 1000
梓涵的家
3 min read · Core 5000
迷路
3 min read · Core 1000
去长城
3 min read · Core 5000
上班第一天
3 min read · Core 1000
生日的惊喜
3 min read · Core 1000
手机在哪儿
3 min read · Core 5000
春节的饺子
3 min read · Core 5000
吴涛的新家
3 min read · Core 5000
今天我是校长
3 min read · Core 5000
下雨的下午
3 min read · Core 1000
今年回谁家？
3 min read · Core 1000
新工作的第一天
3 min read · Core 1000
新学生
3 min read · Core 5000
一起做饭
3 min read · Core 1000
早上的市场
3 min read · Core 1000
端午节在新加坡
4 min read · Core 5000
寒假去台湾
4 min read · Core 5000
兼职面试
4 min read · Core 5000
老样子
4 min read · Core 1000
香港的暑假
4 min read · Core 5000
别人的信
5 min read · Core 5000
错过的火车
5 min read · Core 5000
火车晚了两个小时
5 min read · Core 5000
等了三年
5 min read · Core 5000
都变了
5 min read · Core 5000
山不见了
5 min read · Core 5000
后面的字
5 min read · Core 5000
今天不开门
5 min read · Core 5000
旧手机
5 min read · Core 5000
看场合
5 min read · Core 1000
最老的门
5 min read · Core 5000
楼上的声音
5 min read · Core 5000
那件事
5 min read · Core 5000
那两分呢？
5 min read · Core 5000
小芳的钥匙
5 min read · Core 5000
三天
5 min read · Core 5000
我老公找路
5 min read · Core 5000
欢迎再来
5 min read · Core 5000
被你发现了
5 min read · Core 5000
三条腿
5 min read · Core 5000
一直开
5 min read · Core 5000
有钱没时间
5 min read · Core 5000
中间的树
5 min read · Core 5000
走廊上的翻译
5 min read · Core 5000
Grammar articles
(57)Mandarin Adjectives: Why 'I Am Cold' Is 我冷, Not 我是冷
Mandarin Adjectives Before Nouns: When to Use 的 (de)
Advanced Mandarin Grammar (C1-C2, HSK 6): What Changes
Mandarin 把 (bǎ) Construction: Rules, Examples, Mistakes
The Mandarin 被 (bèi) Passive: Rules and Examples
Not Only... But Also in Mandarin: 不但...而且
不是…而是, 不是…就是 and 既然…就 in Mandarin
Mandarin Causatives: 使 (shǐ), 令 (lìng) and 让 (ràng)
Mandarin Grammar Cheatsheet: The Essentials, One Page
Mandarin 除了...以外: Except, or Besides?
Mandarin Comparatives: 比, 最 and 跟…一样 With Examples
Mandarin Complements: 得, Direction and Result After a Verb
If in Mandarin: 如果, 要是, 的话 and 就 (Conditionals)
Mandarin Conjunctions: 虽然…但是, 因为…所以 and More
The Mandarin Copula 是 (shì): To Be, and When to Leave It Out
大家 (Everyone) and Reflexive 自己 (Oneself) in Mandarin
Mandarin Demonstratives: 这 (zhè) and 那 (nà) With Examples
Figurative 起来, 下去 and 出来 in Mandarin
对 (duì) in Mandarin: 对…来说, To Someone, and 对…感兴趣
How Long in Mandarin: Duration After the Verb
There Is in Mandarin: 有, 来了一个人, 出现 and 发生
Chinese Filler Words: 嗯, 那个, 然后, 就是, 其实
Formal Mandarin Connectives: 然而, 因此, 于是 and 尽管
Mandarin Four-Character Idioms: The Patterns Behind Them
Mandarin Future Tense: 会, 要, 打算 and 快要...了
Intermediate Mandarin Grammar (B1-B2, HSK 4-5)
Mandarin Interrogative Pronouns: 谁, 什么, 哪 and 'Anyone'
Even in Mandarin: The 连...都/也 Construction
Mandarin 在 vs 有: Location, Existence and 上/下/里
Mandarin Modal Verbs: 会, 能, 可以, 想, 要 and 应该
Mandarin Noun Suffixes 子, 家 and 员: Things, Experts and Members
Mandarin Time, Dates and Money: 点, 年月日 and 块
Mandarin Numbers: How Chinese Counting Works, 0 to 亿
Mandarin Spoken Passives: 让 (ràng), 叫 (jiào) and 给 (gěi)
Possession in Mandarin: 的 (de) for My, Your and His
Mandarin Possession with 有 (yǒu): To Have
Mandarin Potential Complements: 听不懂, 吃不完, 买不起
Mandarin Question Words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿 and the Full List
Mandarin Relative Clauses: The Clause Goes Before 的
Mandarin Resultative Complements: 看见, 吃完, 找到
Mandarin Rhetorical Questions: 难道, 不是...吗, 何必 and 岂不
Mandarin Sentence-Final Particles: 吧, 呢, 啊, 嘛 and 吗
The Mandarin 是…的 (shì...de) Construction: When, Where, How
Mandarin Slang: Chinese Internet Words Textbooks Skip
Mandarin 所 (suǒ): 所有, 所谓, 所 + Verb and 为...所
The Three de in Mandarin: 的 vs 得 vs 地
Reported Speech in Mandarin: 听说 and 说
Mandarin Verb-Object Verbs: Why 'To Eat' Is 吃饭
Mandarin Verbal Measure Words: 次, 遍, 下, 趟, 顿
Chinese Sentence Structure: Mandarin Word Order Rules
喜欢 vs 爱: Saying You Like or Love Something in Mandarin
Mandarin Suffixes 性 (xìng) and 化 (huà): -ness and -ise
Mandarin 也 (yě) and 都 (dōu): Also, All, and Where They Go
Mandarin 以 (yǐ): 以为, 以及, 以便, 以免 and 以来
The Mandarin 于 (yú) Family: 对于, 关于, 由于, 至于, 属于, 位于, 终于
The Mandarin Suffix 者 (zhě): 作者, 读者, 记者
Mandarin 之 (zhī): 之一, 之间, 三分之一 and 总之
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Mandarin · Free printables
的: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "的" (of, possessive and modifier particle): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
This word is taught in chapter 2, lesson 1: 的, 我, 你 and 10 more words.