The Particle 的 (de): Possession and Modification

Level: beginner (HSK 1). 的 (de) is the most common character in written Mandarin, and its main job is simple: it joins a modifier — the owner or describer — to the noun it belongs to. Learn the order “owner + 的 (de) + thing” and you can already say “my book”, “the teacher’s car” and “a red cup”.

The rule

A modifier is a word or phrase that tells you more about a noun (a word for a person, place or thing): whose it is, or what it is like. In Mandarin the modifier comes first, then 的 (de), then the noun:

Modifier + 的 (de) + noun

• 我的书 (wǒ de shū) — my book.
• 老师的车 (lǎoshī de chē) — the teacher’s car.
• 红色的杯子 (hóngsè de bēizi) — a red cup.

The same pattern covers possession (我的, wǒ de, “mine”), description (红色的, hóngsè de, “red”) and longer phrases (昨天买的书, zuótiān mǎi de shū, “the book I bought yesterday”). 的 (de) never changes form.

Forms at a glance

When to drop 的 (de)

Native speakers leave 的 (de) out in two common cases:

• Close relationships and your own groups: 我妈妈 (wǒ māma, my mum), 我爸爸 (wǒ bàba, my dad), 你朋友 (nǐ péngyou, your friend), 我们公司 (wǒmen gōngsī, our company). Adding 的 (de) here is not wrong, but it sounds heavier and less natural.
• A one-syllable describer fixed to a noun: 好人 (hǎo rén, a good person), 新车 (xīn chē, a new car), 中国人 (Zhōngguó rén, a Chinese person). These behave like set words, so 好的人 (hǎo de rén) sounds odd.

Example sentences

Common mistakes

• ❌ 书我的 (shū wǒ de) → ✅ 我的书 (wǒ de shū). The modifier comes before the noun, not after it.
• ❌ 我的妈妈是医生 (wǒ de māma shì yīshēng) → ✅ 我妈妈是医生 (wǒ māma shì yīshēng). With close family, everyday Mandarin drops 的 (de).
• ❌ 好的人 (hǎo de rén) → ✅ 好人 (hǎo rén). A single-syllable describer in a set phrase takes no 的 (de).
• ❌ 跑的很快 (pǎo de hěn kuài) → ✅ 跑得很快 (pǎo de hěn kuài). After a verb, “how” uses 得 (de), not 的 (de).

A short conversation

A: 这是谁的伞？ (Zhè shì shéi de sǎn?) — Whose umbrella is this? B: 是我的。 (Shì wǒ de.) — It’s mine. A: 那个红色的也是你的吗？ (Nàge hóngsè de yě shì nǐ de ma?) — Is the red one also yours? B: 不是。那是我朋友的。 (Bú shì. Nà shì wǒ péngyou de.) — No, that’s my friend’s.

Usage notes

• 的 (de) can stand in for the noun. Once the thing is known, you can stop at 的 (de): 我的 (wǒ de, “mine”), 红色的 (hóngsè de, “the red one”), 老师的 (lǎoshī de, “the teacher’s”). This is how 这是我的 (zhè shì wǒ de) means “this is mine”.
• Pronounced in the neutral tone. 的 (de) is always toneless and light; do not stress it. In fast speech it almost disappears between the modifier and the noun.
• Long modifiers come before 的 (de) too. A whole clause can modify a noun: 会说中文的人 (huì shuō Zhōngwén de rén, “a person who can speak Chinese”). English puts such a clause after the noun; Mandarin keeps it before 的 (de).
• Don’t confuse it with 得 (de) and 地 (de). All three are read de in the neutral tone but do different jobs — see below.

Compared with…

• 得 (de) — after a verb. 得 (de) links a verb to a comment on how well it is done: 他跑得很快 (tā pǎo de hěn kuài, “he runs fast”). This is a degree, not possession.
• 地 (de) — before a verb. 地 (de) turns a describer into a manner adverb before the verb: 高兴地说 (gāoxìng de shuō, “say happily”).
• 的 (de) — before a noun. The one on this page: 红色的车 (hóngsè de chē, “a red car”). Remember it by position: 的 (de) sits before a noun, 得 (de) after a verb, 地 (de) before a verb. All three live in the Chinese grammar section.

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Quiz

Recap cheat-sheet

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