的 (possessive)
HSK 1- Other
Structure (结构 jiégòu)
Person/Thing possessor的Person/Thing possessed
Meaning (意思 yìsi)
The particle 的 is used to indicate possession, similar to 'of' or the possessive form in English.
Explanation (解释 jiěshì)
The structural particle 的 (de) is one of the most frequently used characters; its primary function is to express possession. It connects the possessor (person/thing) to what is possessed, similar to the word "of" or "'s" in English.
However, when the relationship is very close (family, friends, school), 的 is commonly omitted to make the sentence sound more natural. For example, instead of saying 我的妈妈, native speakers would say 我妈妈.
Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)
- 这是我的书。繁: 這是我的書。Zhè shì wǒ de shū.
This is my book.
- 他的电脑是新的。繁: 他的電腦是新的。Tā de diànnǎo shì xīn de.
His computer is new.
- 那是我们老师的车。繁: 那是我們老師的車。Nà shì wǒmen lǎoshī de chē.
That is our teacher's car.
- 你的手机号码是多少？繁: 你的手機號碼是多少？Nǐ de shǒujī hàomǎ shì duōshao?
What is your phone number?
- 我喜欢你做的菜。繁: 我喜歡你做的菜。Wǒ xǐhuān nǐ zuò de cài.
I like the food you cooked.