When should we not use 的 de?
「的 de」is a very common Chinese particle. It is often used between a modifier and a noun, similar to “of” or “’s” in English.
However, English learners often use too many「的」because they try to translate English directly into Chinese.
In this lesson, we will learn two important ideas:
- When you should not use 的
- When 的 can be omitted
1. Do not use 的 after a number + measure word
When a number is followed by a measure word and a noun, do not add「的」between the measure word and the noun.
| Correct Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一個蘋果 ♬ | yí ge píngguǒ | an apple |
| 兩杯咖啡 ♬ | liǎng bēi kāfēi | two cups of coffee |
| 三本書 ♬ | sān běn shū | three books |
Do not say:
| Wrong Chinese | Reason |
|---|---|
| 一個的蘋果 | Do not add「的」after a measure word. |
| 兩杯的咖啡 | Do not add「的」between the measure word and the noun. |
2. Usually do not use 的 after a one-character adjective
When a simple one-character adjective modifies a noun, Chinese often does not use「的」.
| Correct Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 好朋友 ♬ | hǎo péngyǒu | good friend |
| 新手機 ♬ | xīn shǒujī | new phone |
| 老朋友 ♬ | lǎo péngyǒu | old friend |
For example,「好朋友」sounds natural.「好的朋友」is grammatically possible in some contexts, but it is usually not the normal way to say “good friend.”
When the modifier is longer or more descriptive,「的」is often used.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 友善的朋友 ♬ | yǒushàn de péngyǒu | friendly friend |
| 很漂亮的房子 ♬ | hěn piàoliang de fángzi | a very beautiful house |
3. 的 can often be omitted for close relationships
When talking about family members or close relationships,「的」is often omitted.
| Natural Chinese | Also possible | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我媽媽 ♬ | 我的媽媽 | my mom |
| 我爸爸 ♬ | 我的爸爸 | my dad |
| 他女朋友 ♬ | 他的女朋友 | his girlfriend |
For close relationships, dropping「的」often sounds more natural and less distant.
4. 的 can often be omitted in workplace or group relationships
When the relationship is clear,「的」can also be omitted in some workplace or group expressions.
| Natural Chinese | Also possible | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他們經理 ♬ | 他們的經理 | their manager |
| 我們老師 ♬ | 我們的老師 | our teacher |
Both forms can be correct. The version without「的」often sounds shorter and more conversational.
5. 的 can often be omitted for material or type
When a noun describes the material, type, or category of another noun,「的」is often omitted.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 木頭房子 ♬ | mùtou fángzi | wooden house |
| 玻璃桌子 ♬ | bōlí zhuōzi | glass table |
| 中文課 ♬ | Zhōngwén kè | Chinese class |
In these examples, the first noun describes the type or material of the second noun.
6. 的 can be omitted in simple possession
In casual Chinese,「的」can sometimes be omitted in simple possession when the meaning is clear.
| Natural Chinese | Also possible | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我杯子破了。 ♬ | 我的杯子破了。 | My cup is broken. |
| 他手機不見了。 ♬ | 他的手機不見了。 | His phone is missing. |
However, this kind of omission is more conversational. In formal writing, keeping「的」is often clearer.
7. Keep 的 in longer possessive phrases
If a possessive phrase is long or has several layers, keep the final「的」before the main noun. This makes the sentence easier to understand.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我爸爸朋友的兒子是我的男朋友。 ♬ | wǒ bàba péngyǒu de érzi shì wǒ de nánpéngyǒu | The son of my dad’s friend is my boyfriend. |
Here,「的」before「兒子」is important because it connects「我爸爸朋友」and「兒子」.
A more formal or clearer version is:
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我爸爸的朋友的兒子是我的男朋友。 ♬ | wǒ bàba de péngyǒu de érzi shì wǒ de nánpéngyǒu | The son of my dad’s friend is my boyfriend. |
8. 的 can often be omitted before location words
When talking about location,「的」before a location word can often be omitted.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 在我的桌子的下面 ♬ | zài wǒ de zhuōzi de xiàmiàn | under my table |
| 在我桌子的下面 ♬ | zài wǒ zhuōzi de xiàmiàn | under my table |
| 在我的桌子下面 ♬ | zài wǒ de zhuōzi xiàmiàn | under my table |
| 在我桌子下面 ♬ | zài wǒ zhuōzi xiàmiàn | under my table |
In daily speech,「在我桌子下面」is very natural and short.
But if the modifier before the noun is long, you usually need「的」to connect the modifier and the noun.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 在我最漂亮的桌子下面 ♬ | zài wǒ zuì piàoliang de zhuōzi xiàmiàn | under my most beautiful table |
Here,「最漂亮的」modifies「桌子」, so「的」should stay.
9. Some expressions are fixed by habit
Some expressions usually omit「的」because that is simply how people say them. These are best learned as fixed words or common phrases.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 流行音樂 ♬ | liúxíng yīnyuè | popular music |
| 中文老師 ♬ | Zhōngwén lǎoshī | Chinese teacher |
| 學生證 ♬ | xuéshēngzhèng | student ID card |
For these expressions, do not try to translate word by word from English. Learn the full phrase as one unit.
Quick review
| Situation | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Number + measure word + noun | Do not add 的. | 一個蘋果 ♬ |
| Simple one-character adjective | Usually omit 的. | 好朋友 ♬ |
| Longer adjective phrase | Usually keep 的. | 友善的朋友 ♬ |
| Close relationship | 的 can often be omitted. | 我媽媽 ♬ |
| Material or type | 的 is often omitted. | 玻璃桌子 ♬ |
| Location words | 的 can often be omitted. | 在我桌子下面 ♬ |
| Fixed expressions | Learn them as common phrases. | 流行音樂 ♬ |
Useful vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 的 ♬ | de | modifier particle; possessive particle |
| 蘋果 ♬ | píngguǒ | apple |
| 朋友 ♬ | péngyǒu | friend |
| 友善 ♬ | yǒushàn | friendly |
| 媽媽 ♬ | māma | mom |
| 爸爸 ♬ | bàba | dad |
| 經理 ♬ | jīnglǐ | manager |
| 木頭 ♬ | mùtou | wood |
| 房子 ♬ | fángzi | house |
| 玻璃 ♬ | bōlí | glass |
| 桌子 ♬ | zhuōzi | table |
| 杯子 ♬ | bēizi | cup |
| 破了 ♬ | pò le | broken |
| 兒子 ♬ | érzi | son |
| 男朋友 ♬ | nánpéngyǒu | boyfriend |
| 下面 ♬ | xiàmiàn | under; below |
| 漂亮 ♬ | piàoliang | beautiful |
| 流行音樂 ♬ | liúxíng yīnyuè | popular music |
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