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

pron. + 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

  • 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。Wǒmen gōngsī zài Běijīng.Our company is in Bejing.
  • 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 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 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