MANDARIN SENTENCE PATTERN

Possession with 的

Connect an owner or description to a noun.

Owner + 的 (de) + noun

的 follows an owner or modifier and connects it to the noun. The owner comes first, unlike the English phrase the book of my friend.

的 can be omitted in some close relationships, such as 我妈妈, but keeping it initially is often a useful beginner pattern.

Examples

这是我的书。

Zhè shì wǒ de shū.

This is my book.

你的朋友在哪儿？

Nǐ de péngyou zài nǎr?

Where is your friend?

她的名字很好听。

Tā de míngzi hěn hǎotīng.

Her name sounds nice.

的 is usually neutral tone in this pattern. Do not confuse it with the similar-sounding 地 and 得.