的 for Possession and Modification
Noun/Pronoun + 的 + Noun = possessive or modifier
- 我的书 = my book
- 老师的学生 = the teacher's student
- 大的书 = the big book (adjective + 的 + noun)
Standalone 的 — pronoun + 的 without a following noun:
- 这是我的。= This is mine.
- 那是他的。= That is his.
Dropped 的 with close family:
With family words, 的 is often dropped in speech:
- 我妈妈 (not 我的妈妈) = my mom
- 你爸爸 (not 你的爸爸) = your dad
But 的 is required with adjectives:
- 大的书包 = big school bag ✅
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 这是他的电脑，不是我的。 | Zhè shì tā de diàn nǎo, bù shì wǒ de. | This is his computer, not mine. | 他的 = his; 我的 used standalone (without following noun) |
| 我们的老师很好。 | Wǒ men de lǎo shī hěn hǎo. | Our teacher is very good. | 我们的 = our; plural pronoun + 的 + noun |
| 妈妈在家，她很好。 | Mā ma zài jiā, tā hěn hǎo. | Mom is at home, she is well. | 妈妈 with dropped 的: no pronoun needed when context is clear |
的 for Possession and Modification is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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