Dictionary › 的
的
de
的 (de) means "of; ~'s (possessive particle)". It is an HSK 3.0 level 1 word, and was HSK 1 in the old six-level list.
What 的 means
- of; ~'s (possessive particle)
- (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun)
- (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis)
- (used after a noun, verb or adjective to form a nominal expression, as in {皮革的|pí gé de} "one made of leather" or {跑堂儿的|pǎo táng r de} "a waiter (literally, one who runs back and forth in a restaurant)" or {新的|xīn de} "new one")
- also pr. dì or di in poetry and songs
How 的 is used in grammar
的 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.
- 的 for Possession and Modification (HSK 1)
- Sentence-final Particles: 啊、吧、的 (HSK 2)
- Verbal Phrases as Subject, Object & Modifier (HSK 3)
- Duration complement: V+了+time (HSK 4)
The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 1, particles (结构助词); level 2, particles (语气助词).
Other readings
Example sentences
-
真的？You don't say.
-
妈的！Fuck!
-
是的。Yes.
-
对的。That's correct.
-
好的。Okay.
-
的确。Granted.
Words starting with 的
- 的确dí quèreally; indeed
- 的士dī shìtaxi (loanword)
- 的哥dī gēmale taxi driver; cabbie (slang)
- 的话de huàif (coming after a conditional clause)
- 的款dí kuǎnreliable funds
- 的士高dí shì gāo(Hong Kong; loanword) disco
- 的黎波里Dì lí bō lǐTripoli, capital of Libya; Tripoli, city in north Lebanon
- 的确良dí què liángdacron (loanword)
- 的里雅斯特Dì lǐ yǎ sī tèTrieste, port city in Italy
- 的姐dī jiěfemale taxi driver
- 的的喀喀湖Dì dì kā kā HúLake Titicaca
Words containing 的
- 真的zhēn dereally; truly; indeed; real; true; genuine; (math) proper
- 有的yǒu de(there are) some (who are...); some (exist)
- 似的shì deseems as if; rather like; Taiwan pr. sì de
- 目的mù dìpurpose; aim; goal; target; objective
- 别的bié deelse; other
- 是的shì deyes, that's right; variant of 似的
- 女的nǚ dewoman
- 打的dǎ dī(colloquial) to take a taxi; to go by taxi
- 面的miàn dīabbr. of 面包车的士; minivan taxi
- 他妈的tā mā de(taboo curse) damn it!; fucking
- 目的地mù dì dìdestination (location)
- 有的是yǒu de shìhave plenty of; there's no lack of
- 有的时候yǒu de shí hòusometimes; at times
- 说真的shuō zhēn deto tell the truth; honestly; in fact
- 总的来说zǒng de lái shuōgenerally speaking; to sum up; in summary
- 端的duān dìreally; after all; details
- 真是的zhēn shi deReally! (interj. of annoyance or frustration)
- 破的pò dìto hit the target; (fig.) to hit the nail on the head
- 漫无目的màn wú mù dìaimless; at random
- 标的biāo dìtarget; aim; objective
- 狗日的gǒu rì de(vulgar) damned; fucking (attributive intensifier); (vulgar) bastard
- 怎的zěn dewhat for; why; how
- 好样的hǎo yàng de(idiom) a good person, used to praise sb's moral integrity or courage
- 去你的qù nǐ deGet along with you!
Characters that look like 的
Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.
- 均jūn(bound form) equal; uniform; even; (literary) without exception; all
- 狗gǒudog
- 钩gōuto hook; to sew; to crochet
- 灼zhuóto burn; to sear; to scorch; (bound form) bright; luminous
- 钧jūn30 catties; great; your (honorific)
- 枸gōubent; crooked
Sounds the same
Read de, tone for tone, but written differently.
- 得structural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb), linking it to…
- 地-ly; structural particle: used before a verb or adjective, linking it to preceding…
- 底(equivalent to 的 as possessive particle)
Where 的 is taught
In the GraphChinese course it is part of Function Words and Adverbs (HSK 1), HSK 1 Characters · Set 1 (HSK 1), HSK 0 foundations: characters & pinyin mastered (HSK 1), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.
Go deeper
- Every HSK 1 word, with the rest of its level.
- How characters are built from components.
- How to learn Chinese characters.
- The four tones and the neutral tone, to read de correctly.
- Look up another word in the free dictionary.
Looking a word up is not learning it. GraphChinese puts all of HSK 1–6 into one dependency graph, teaches each piece only once its prerequisites are solid, and schedules reviews to land just before you would forget.
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