Modifying nouns with phrase + "de"

In addition to linking adjectives to nouns, 的 (de) can also be used to link a whole phrase to a noun, making the already useful 的 (de) even more useful.

Structure

As well as attaching adjectives to nouns, 的 (de) can be used to attach whole phrases to nouns. In English this is often achieved with "who" or "that." For example, "the man who went to Beijing" or "the book that I bought yesterday."

Phrase + 的 + Noun

Here a phrase means Verb + (Object).

Examples

• 妈妈 做 的 菜 māma zuò de càithe food that mom cooks
• 去 北京 的 火车 qù Běijīng de huǒchēthe train that goes to Beijing
• 你 教 的 学生 nǐ jiāo de xuéshengthe students that you teach
• 老板 请 的 朋友 lǎobǎn qǐng de péngyouthe friends that the boss invited
• 我 画 的画wǒ huà de huà the pictures that I draw
• 他 写 的 书 tā xiě de shūthe books that he wrote
• 妈妈 给 我 买 的 衣服māma gěi wǒ mǎi de yīfuthe clothes that mom bought for me
• 客户 问 的 问题 kèhù wèn de wèntí the questions that the client asked
• 穿 Prada 的 女人chuān Prada de nǚrénwomen who wear Prada
• 不 喜欢 中国菜 的 老外 bù xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài de lǎowài the foreigners that don't like Chinese food

See also

• Modifying nouns with adjective + de
• Expressing possession

Sources and Further Reading

Books

• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 76) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 107-8) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 39) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (pp. 141) [ →buy]
• Yufa! (pp. 37) [ →buy]