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  <h1>Structural particle "<span class="pinyinst">de</span>"</h1>

  <p>The structural particle "de" has three written forms in modern Chinese, each with its own uses:</p>

  <ul>
    <li><span class="hanzi">的</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>), most often used for modifying <a href="noun" title="wikilink">nouns</a></li>

    <li><span class="hanzi">得</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>), most often used with <a href="complement" title="wikilink">complements</a></li>

    <li><span class="hanzi">地</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>), most often used with <a href="adverbial_phrase" title="wikilink">adverbial phrases</a></li>
  </ul>

  <p>There is also a modal particle <span class="hanzi">的</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>), not covered in this grammar point.</p>

  <h2 id="的-de-before-nouns"><span class="hanzist">的</span> (<span class="pinyinst">de</span>) Before Nouns</h2>

  <p>Before nouns, <span class="hanzi">的</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) is used to mark possession or modification. One way to think about <span class="hanzi">的</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) is that it works like apostrophe-"s" in English. Think of this one as the "possessive <span class="pinyin">de</span>" or "noun-modifying <span class="pinyin">de</span>."</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">小李 <span class="fondjaune">的</span> 房子</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Xiǎo Lǐ <span class="fondjaune">de</span> fángzi</span> <br/> Xiao Li's house</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <p>This comparison works very well for possession, as it shows how English and Chinese handle possession in a similar way. Just remember that Chinese uses this "possession" far more widely than English. Modifying, describing qualities, and assigning attributes are all handled in the same way as possession, by using <span class="hanzi">的</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>).</p>

  <p>Another way to use <span class="hanzi">的</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) is as an <a href="attributive" class="uri" title="wikilink">attributive</a>. It's just a way of connecting adjectives or other words with a noun. It gives us more information about the noun, and the <span class="hanzi">的</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) makes it clear that the extra information is connected to the noun. Here's an example:</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">红色 <span class="fondjaune">的</span> 自行车</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">hóngsè <span class="fondjaune">de</span> zìxíngchē</span> <br/> red bicycle</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <p>Here <span class="hanzi">的</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) is used to modify "bicycle" with the color "red." It attributes the color "red" to the "bicycle."</p>

  <h3 id="structure">Structure</h3>

  <p>Although certainly not complete for all uses, this simple structure should help as a general guideline:</p>

  <div class="deux">
    <p><span class="hanzist">的</span> + Noun</p>
  </div>

  <h3 id="examples">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">我 <span class="fondjaune">的</span> 手机</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">wǒ <span class="fondjaune">de</span> shǒujī</span> <br/> my cell phone</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我们 <span class="fondjaune">的</span> 老师</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> wǒmen <span class="fondjaune">de</span> lǎoshī</span> <br/> our teacher</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">漂亮 <span class="fondjaune">的</span> 衣服</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> piàoliang <span class="fondjaune">de</span> yīfu</span> <br/> beautiful clothes</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">热闹 <span class="fondjaune">的</span> 酒吧</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">rènao <span class="fondjaune">de</span> jiǔbā</span> <br/> a boisterous bar</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 女朋友 <span class="fondjaune">的</span> 公司</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">wǒ nǚpéngyou <span class="fondjaune">de</span> gōngsī</span> <br/> my girlfriend's company</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <p>For you nerdier learners, <span class="hanzi">的</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) is known to the Chinese as <span class="hanzi">白勺的</span> (<span class="pinyin">bái-sháo de</span>) as it's composed of the characters <span class="hanzi">白</span> (<span class="pinyin">bái</span>) and <span class="hanzi">勺</span> (<span class="pinyin">sháo</span>).</p>

  <h2 id="得-de-after-verbs"><span class="hanzist">得</span> (<span class="pinyinst">de</span>) After Verbs</h2>

  <p>This de is probably the trickiest to crack for English speakers as it has no obvious equivalent in English. <span class="hanzi">得</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) is used to construct various kinds of complements and is usually associated with verbs. You can think of it as the "<b>complement de.</b>"</p>

  <h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3>

  <p>Although certainly not complete for all uses, this simple structure should help:</p>

  <div class="deux">
    <p>Verb + <span class="hanzist">得</span></p>
  </div>

  <h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">做 <span class="fondjaune">得</span> 很 好</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">zuò <span class="fondjaune">de</span> hěn hǎo</span> <br/> do very well</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">说 <span class="fondjaune">得</span> 太 快</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">shuō <span class="fondjaune">de</span> tài kuài</span> <br/> speak too fast</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">玩 <span class="fondjaune">得</span> 很 开心</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">wán <span class="fondjaune">de</span> hěn kāixīn</span> <br/> play very happily</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">开 <span class="fondjaune">得</span> 很 快</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">kāi <span class="fondjaune">de</span> hěn kuài</span> <br/> drive very fast</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">住 <span class="fondjaune">得</span> 很 舒服</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">zhù <span class="fondjaune">de</span> hěn shūfu</span> <br/> live very comfortably</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <p>For you nerdier learners, <span class="hanzi">得</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) is known as <span class="hanzi">双人得</span> (<span class="pinyin">shuāngrén de</span>), as the character component <span class="hanzi">彳</span> is often referred to as <span class="hanzi">双人</span> (<span class="pinyin">shuāngrén</span>), or the "double person" component.</p>

  <h3 id="not-an-adverb">Not an Adverb?</h3>

  <p>You might be wondering how the examples using <span class="hanzi">得</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) above are different from adverbs. That's actually a really good question, but it's one that you should defer until later in your studies. Complements are a bit tricky, and you'll be learning a lot more about them at the intermediate level, so be patient!</p>

  <h2 id="地-de-before-verbs"><span class="hanzist">地</span> (<span class="pinyinst">de</span>) Before Verbs</h2>

  <p><span class="hanzi">地</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) is used to turn adjectives into adverbs, and can be thought of as equivalent to the suffix -ly in English. You could call it the "adverb de" or "adverbial de," since it precedes verbs like adverbs do.</p>

  <h3 id="structure-2">Structure</h3>

  <p>Although not complete for all uses, this simple structure should help:</p>

  <div class="deux">
    <p>Adj. + <span class="hanzist">地</span> + Verb</p>
  </div>

  <p>Note that it's the "adjective + <span class="hanzi">地</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>)" structure that makes the adjective into an "adverb phrase" (called an adverbial). If it's a straight-up adverb you're using (instead of an adjective), then you don't need <span class="hanzi">地</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) at all.</p>

  <p>This pattern is also the least common of the three; you'll be using <span class="hanzi">的</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) and <span class="hanzi">得</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) a lot more in everyday communication than this one.</p>

  <h3 id="examples-2">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">生气 <span class="fondjaune">地</span> 说</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">shēngqì <span class="fondjaune">de</span> shuō</span> <br/> angrily say</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">开心 <span class="fondjaune">地</span> 笑</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">kāixīn <span class="fondjaune">de</span> xiào</span> <br/> happily laugh</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">慢慢 <span class="fondjaune">地</span> 走</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">mànmàn <span class="fondjaune">de</span> zǒu</span> <br/> slowly walk</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">伤心 <span class="fondjaune">地</span> 哭</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">shāngxīn <span class="fondjaune">de</span> kū</span> <br/> sadly cry</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">认真 <span class="fondjaune">地</span> 听</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">rènzhēn <span class="fondjaune">de</span> tīng</span> <br/> carefully listen</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <p>Again, you don't have to know this, but this <span class="hanzi">地</span> (<span class="pinyin">de</span>) is known in Chinese as <span class="hanzi">土也地</span> (<span class="pinyin">tǔ-yě de</span>), as it's composed of the <span class="hanzi">土</span> (<span class="pinyin">tǔ</span>) component on the left with a <span class="hanzi">也</span> (<span class="pinyin">yě</span>) on the right.</p>

  <h2 id="using-all-three-des">Using All Three "de"s</h2>

  <p>This example is naturally going to be a little more difficult than the ones above, since we're cramming all three usages into one sentence, but you may find this useful.</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">今天 <span class="fondjaune">的</span> 作业 你 做 <span class="fondjaune">得</span> 不好，因为 你 没 认真 <span class="fondjaune">地</span> 听课。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Jīntiān <span class="fondjaune">de</span> zuòyè nǐ zuò <span class="fondjaune">de</span> bù hǎo, yīnwèi nǐ méi rènzhēn <span class="fondjaune">de</span> tīngkè.</span> <br/> You didn't do today's homework well because you didn't listen attentively in class.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>

  <h3 id="books">Books</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (<span class="hanzi">外国人实用汉语语法</span>) (pp. 133-135)</li>

    <li>Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 72)</li>

    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 291-3)</li>

    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 193 - 195)</li>

    <li>New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本3</span>) (pp. 50-1, 99-101)</li>

    <li>40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (<span class="hanzi">基础汉语40课上册</span>） (p. 189)</li>
  </ul>

  <h3 id="websites">Websites</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>Blog post (Chinese): <a href="http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_5375d4df0100azfv.html">“的”与“地”“得”</a></li>

    <li>Online document (Chinese): <a href="http://wenku.baidu.com/view/3ce1a977a417866fb84a8eca.html">“的”“地”“得”的用法区别</a> explains and shares a song about the three de's</li>

    <li>Sinosplice: <a href="http://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2011/08/16/the-three-de-song"> The Three De Song</a></li>

    <li>ChinesePod blog: <a href="http://blog.chinesepod.com/2011/05/18/the-three-musketeers-%E7%9A%84-%E5%BE%97-and-%E5%9C%B0/"> The Three Musketeers (的, 得, and 地)</a> on ChinesePod.com</li>
  </ul>
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