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.

With a Noun

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."

Structure

Phrase + 的 + Noun

Here the phrase is typically of the form "Noun + Verb." The pattern, by itself, doesn't make clear whether the action happened in the past, present, or future.

Examples

• 妈妈 做 的 菜 māma zuò de càithe food that mom cooks / cooked
• 去 北京 的 火车 qù Běijīng de huǒchēthe train that goes / went to Beijing
• 你 教 的 学生 nǐ jiāo de xuéshengthe students that you teach / taught
• 老板 请 的 朋友 lǎobǎn qǐng de péngyouthe friends that the boss invites / invited
• 我 画 的画wǒ huà de huà the pictures that I draw / drew
• 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 buys / bought for me
• 客户 问 的 问题 kèhù wèn de wèntí the questions that the client asks / asked
• 穿 Prada 的 女人chuān Prada de nǚrénwomen who wear / wore Prada
• 不 喜欢 中国菜 的 老外 bù xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài de lǎowài the foreigners that don't / didn't like Chinese food

Without a Noun

In some cases, it is possible to drop the noun from the pattern, and just use the "Noun + 的 (de)." This is kind of like saying "what Mom made" or "the red one" in English. In Chinese the 的 (de) serves the same purpose as the English word "what." By using this pattern, you can avoid repeating the same noun over and over again unnecessarily. Just be sure the other person is already clear about the "what" you're referring to when using this pattern!

Structure

Phrase + 的

Examples

Note that for certain phrases, it may be ambiguous what the "what" refers to, and sometimes it could even refer to a "who."

• 妈妈 做 的 māma zuò dewhat mom cooks / cooked
• 我 画 的wǒ huà de what I draw / drew
• 他 写 的tā xiě dewhat he writes / wrote
• 你 教 的nǐ jiāo dewho/what you teach / taught

See also

• Modifying nouns with adjective + de
• Expressing possession

Sources and Further Reading

Books

• HSK Standard Course 2 (pp. 84) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• 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]

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