Expressing possession with "de"
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
In Chinese, possession is marked with the particle 的 (de). This particle works in a similar way to 's (apostrophe s) in English, but is used much more widely.
Structure
Noun 1 + 的 + Noun 2
This means "Noun 1's Noun 2" (where Noun 2 belongs to Noun 1).
The structure is super simple. It will take a bit of time before you realize how truly universal this pattern is. It doesn't matter whether the "Noun 1" is a person, place, or thing, or even if it's a pronoun (like "he," "she," or "it"). The structure stays consistent.
Examples
- 我 的 啤酒 my beer
- 你 的 葡萄酒 your wine
- 他 的 书 his book
- 他们 的 东西 their stuff
- 小李 的 手机 Xiao Li's cell phone
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 45) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 87) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 101-2) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 64-5) →buy
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