Expressing close possession without "de"

Often, you would say in Chinese 的 (de) to indicate that something is your in possession. Although, when you talk about certain (especially close) relationships, this can seem too wordy.

Structure

pronoun + Noun

Normally possession is expressed with the particle 的 (de). However, in some cases you can omit 的 (de). This happens when the possession is about:

• A close personal relationship (family, close friends, boyfriends/girlfriends)
• An institutional or organizational relationship (school, work)

In these cases 的 (de) should be omitted (that is, it doesn't sound as natural if you leave it in).

Examples

• 这 是 我 家。Zhè shì wǒ jiā.This is my home.
• 这 是 我 女朋友。 Zhè shì wǒ nǚpéngyou.This is my girlfriend.
• 她 妈妈 很 漂亮。Tā māmā hěn piàoliang.Her mom is very beautiful.
• 我们 学校 很 大。Wǒmen xuéxiào hěn dà.Our school is big.
• 我们 公司 在 西安。Wǒmen gōngsī zài Xī'ān.Our company is in Xi'an.
• 他 爸爸 是 我们 公司 的 老板。Tā bàba shì wǒmen gōngsī de lǎobǎn.His dad is the boss of our company.
• 你 姐姐 很 难看 。Nǐ jiějiě hěn nánkàn.Your older sister is ugly.
• 我 家 很大 。Wǒ jiā hěn dà.My house is very big.
• 他们 儿子 很 有名。Tāmen érzi hěn yǒumíng.Their son is really famous.
• 我 女儿 会 说 英语。Wǒ nǚ'ér huì shuō Yīngyǔ.My daughter can speak English.

If 的 (de) was used in the above examples, it would create a sense of distance between the two, and possibly even imply that the relationship is not particularly close.

See also

• Expressing possession
• Modifying nouns with adjective + de
• Modifying nouns with phrase + de

Sources and further reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 76) →buy
• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 31) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (p. 87) →buy