HSK 2
的 (N)
de (N)
(omitting nouns after 的)
Structure
Adjective / Pronoun / Verb Phrase + 的 (+ Omitted Noun)
How it works
In Chinese, the noun after the possessive or descriptive particle '的' (de) can be omitted if the context makes it clear what is being discussed. This avoids redundancy and makes the sentence sound more natural, similar to saying 'the red one' or 'mine' in English.
Examples
这本书是我的。
Zhè běn shū shì wǒ de.
This book is mine.
我喜欢红色的。
Wǒ xǐhuān hóngsè de.
I like the red one.
这些菜是妈妈做的。
Zhèxiē cài shì māma zuò de.
These dishes are the ones mom cooked.
Common mistakes
Forgetting to include '的' when omitting the noun, which makes the sentence grammatically incomplete (e.g., saying '这支笔是其' instead of '这支笔是他的').
Tip
If you can add 'one' or 'ones' after the adjective in English (like 'the small one'), you almost certainly need to use '的' in Chinese.
More HSK 2 grammar
See 的 (N) in real Chinese
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