One of the best ways to use the common character 的 (de) is to spice up
your [nouns](noun "wikilink") with [adjectives](adjective "wikilink").
By using 的 (de), we can connect sassy adjectives to otherwise boring
nouns.
With a Noun
-----------
### Structure
A very common way to modify nouns is to attach an adjective to them
using 的 (de).
Adj. + 的 + Noun
This structure comes up extremely frequently and is an easy way to
attribute features to nouns. Occasionally you will see this 的 (de)
omitted, but note that if the adjective has two characters (e.g. 漂亮
(piàoliang) or 高兴 (gāoxìng)), the 的 (de) is generally required.
### Examples
- 漂亮 的 女孩儿 piàoliang de
nǚháirbeautiful girl
- 辣 的 菜 là de cài
spicy food
- 可爱 的 宝宝 kě'ài de
bǎobaoa cute baby
- 我 喜欢 新鲜 的 果汁 。 Wǒ xǐhuan
xīnxiān de guǒzhī.I like fresh
fruit juice.
- 他 常常 买 便宜 的 东西。 Tā
chángcháng mǎi piányi de
dōngxi.He often buys cheap stuff.
Without a Noun
--------------
### Structure
In some cases, it is possible to drop the noun from the pattern, and
just use the adjective + 的 (de). This is kind of like saying "the big
one" or "the red one" in English. In Chinese the 的 (de) serves the same
purpose as the English word "one." 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 which "one" you're referring to when
using this pattern!
Adj. + 的
### Examples
- A: 孩子 喜欢 吃 什么 东西
？Háizi xǐhuan chī shénme
dōngxi?What food do children like to
eat?
- B: 甜 的
。 Tián
de.Sweet food.
- A: 你 喜欢 哪 种
女孩？Nǐ xǐhuan nǎ zhǒng
nǚhái?What kind of girls do you
like?
- B: 漂亮
的。 Piàoliang
de.Pretty ones.
- A: 你 要 喝 冷 水 还是 热
水？Nǐ xǐhuan hē lěng shuǐ háishì rè shuǐ
?Do you want to drink cold or hot
water?
- B: 冷
的。Lěng
de.Cold.
- A: 你想 找 什么样 的
男朋友？Nǐ xiǎng zhǎo shénmeyàng de
nánpéngyou?What kind of boyfriend do you
want to find?
- B: 有钱
的。Yǒuqián
de.A rich one.
- A: 你 不 喜欢 吃 什么
菜？Nǐ bù xǐhuan chī shénme
cài?Which foods do you not like to
eat?
- B: 辣
的。Là
de.Spicy ones.
See also
--------
- [Modifying nouns with phrase +
de](Modifying_nouns_with_phrase_+_de "wikilink")
- [Expressing possession](Expressing_possession "wikilink")
Sources and further reading
---------------------------
### Books
- [Basic Patterns of Chinese
Grammar](Basic_Patterns_of_Chinese_Grammar "wikilink") (pp. 70-1)
[→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1933330899)
- [Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second
Edition](Chinese:_An_Essential_Grammar,_Second_Edition "wikilink") (p.
37)
[→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615)
- [Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1
(3rd ed)](Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1_(3rd_ed) "wikilink") (pp.
191, 233)
[→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385)
- [Yufa!](Yufa! "wikilink") (pp. 37)
[→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709)
[Category:A2 grammar points](Category:A2_grammar_points "wikilink")