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Linking nouns with 的 (de)
HSK 1Connecting Ideas
Description & Modification
Structure
Modifier + 的 + Noun
Explanation
The particle 的 connects a modifying phrase to a noun, similar to the possessive "'s" or "of" in English. It can express possession (我的书, "my book"), describe attributes (红色的车, "red car"), or link longer phrases to a noun. It is one of the most common structural particles in Chinese.
Examples
这是我妈妈的手机。
zhè shì wǒ māma de shǒujī.
This is my mom's phone.
桌子上的那杯水是你的吗？
zhuōzi shàng de nà bēi shuǐ shì nǐ de ma?
Is that glass of water on the table yours?
我最喜欢学校旁边的那家咖啡店。
wǒ zuì xǐhuān xuéxiào pángbiān de nà jiā kāfēidiàn.
My favorite is the coffee shop next to the school.