ParticlesHSK 1

Expressing possession with 的

The particle 的 is used to link a possessor (Noun 1) to a possessed item (Noun 2), forming 'Noun 1's Noun 2'. It works for people, places, things, and pronouns, making it one of the most universal patterns in Chinese.

Structure

Noun 1 + 的 + Noun 2

Examples

我的老师
wǒ de lǎoshī
my teacher
你的手机
nǐ de shǒujī
your cell phone
爸爸的车
bàba de chē
dad's car
北京的空气
Běijīng de kōngqì
Beijing's air
公司的老板
gōngsī de lǎobǎn
the company's boss

Words that use this

的deof; ~'s (possessive particle); (used after an attribute); (used to form a nominal expression); (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis); also pr. [dì] or [di] in poetry and songs