HSK 1
(的)
( de)
's
Structure
Possessor + 的 + Noun (Possessed)
How it works
The particle '的' (de) is used to indicate possession or a relationship between two nouns. It functions similarly to the English apostrophe 's' or the word 'of', placed between the possessor and the thing possessed.
Examples
这是我的书。
Zhè shì wǒ de shū.
This is my book.
老师的名字是什么？
Lǎoshī de míngzì shì shénme?
What is the teacher's name?
他的猫很漂亮。
Tā de māo hěn piàoliang.
His cat is very beautiful.
Common mistakes
Forgetting that '的' is required even for pronouns like 'I' (我) or 'He' (他) to make them possessive (e.g., saying '我书' instead of '我的书').
Tip
When describing close personal relationships like family members (e.g., 'my mother'), the '的' can sometimes be omitted (我妈妈), but keeping it is always grammatically safe.
More HSK 1 grammar
See (的) in real Chinese
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