Expressing close possession without "de"

Expressing possession in Chinese is accomplished with the particle 的 (de). But sometimes when certain (especially close) relationships are involved, it's more naturally to drop the 的 (de).

Structure

Pronoun + Noun

Normally possession is expressed with the particle 的 (de). However, you can omit 的 (de) in these cases:

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

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

Examples

• 我 家 很 大。Wǒ jiā hěn dà.My house is very big.
• 你 哥哥 很 高 。 Nǐ gēge hěn gāo.Your elder brother is very tall.
• 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.
• 他们 公司 在 北京。Tāmen gōngsī zài Běijīng.Their company is in Bejing.
• 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 男朋友 很 帅。Nǐ nán péngyou hěn shuài.Your boyfriend is very handsome.
• 他 儿子 很 有名。Tā érzi hěn yǒumíng.His 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 an unnatural sense of distance between the two.

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