Writing
的 (de) — how to say "possessive particle" in Chinese
的
Possessive particle; modifier particle
modal particle
How to use it
Is 的 just the English possessive 's?
No. 的 links a word or phrase before it to the noun that follows. In 我的书 it marks an owner, but in 中国的茶 it describes where the tea comes from: tea from China. Ownership is only one use of this noun-modifying pattern. In these examples, 的 links the modifier to the noun.
这是我的书
zhè shì wǒ de shū
This is my book.
中国的茶
Zhōngguó de chá
Chinese tea
的 at the end of a statement
Sentence-final 的 has another role. In 他会来的, it reinforces the speaker’s confidence that he will come. It does not connect an owner or description to a following noun in this sentence.
他会来的。
tā huì lái de
He will come.
Radicals / Keys
白
White
#106 · bái · 5 strokes
Examples
这是我的电脑，你有电脑吗？
This is my computer, do you have a computer?
Mnemonic
[de-] Detective Deidra was searching for a missing puzzle piece that belonged to a mystical board game. 🧩 The piece had the character 的 on it, marking it as the game's possessive particle, essential for the game's completion. Finally, she found it under a mysterious glowing light, and the board came to life with 的 magic!
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "possessive particle" in Chinese?
"possessive particle" in Chinese is 的 (de).
的 meaning in English
的 (de) means "Possessive particle; modifier particle".
De in Chinese pronunciation
It is pronounced de (written as de). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "possessive particle" in Chinese characters?
It is written 的 and has 8 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 的?
的 belongs to the HSK 1 vocabulary list.
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