Difference between revisions of "Expressing close possession without "de""

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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.
 
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 ==
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=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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In these cases 的 (de) '''should be''' omitted (that is, it doesn't sound as natural if you leave it in).
 
In these cases 的 (de) '''should be''' omitted (that is, it doesn't sound as natural if you leave it in).
  
== Examples ==
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=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">

Revision as of 05:40, 3 July 2015

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 nǚ péngyǒu .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

Sources and further reading

Books