Difference between revisions of "Expressing possession with "de""

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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 我 <em>的</em> 啤酒。
+
* 我 <em>的</em> 啤酒。 <span class="expl">("my beer")</span>
* 你 <em>的</em> 葡萄酒。
+
* 你 <em>的</em> 葡萄酒。 <span class="expl">("your wine")</span>
* 他 <em>的</em> 书。
+
* 他 <em>的</em> 书。 <span class="expl">("his book")</span>
* 他们 <em>的</em> 东西。
+
* 他们 <em>的</em> 东西。 <span class="expl">("their stuff")</span>
* 小李 <em>的</em> 手机。
+
* 小李 <em>的</em> 手机。 <span class="expl">("Xiao Li's cell phone")</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 01:53, 25 September 2012

In Chinese, possession is marked with the particle 的. This particle work's in a similar way to 's (apostrophe s) in English, but is used much more widely.

Structure

Noun 1 + 的 + Noun 2

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

  • 啤酒。 ("my beer")
  • 葡萄酒。 ("your wine")
  • 书。 ("his book")
  • 他们 东西。 ("their stuff")
  • 小李 手机。 ("Xiao Li's cell phone")

See also

Sources and further reading

Books