Ending With 的(de)
※ 是 (shì) is not used to link adjectives to nouns. Usage: Noun + 是 + Noun, Noun + 很/非常 + Adjective
Nouns ending with 的
Basics (just like in English, male can be both n. and adj.)
男的 nánde: guy | 女的 nǚde: girl
吃的 chīde: things to eat | 喝的 hēde: things to drink
玩的 wánde: places to have fun; fun things to do
公的 gōngde: male (animal) | 母的 mǔde: female (animal)
亲爱的 qīn’ àide: darling; honey; dear
你的 nǐde: yours | 我的 wǒde: mine
Verb + 的 = Various people / Occupations
散步的 sànbù de: person going for a walk
遛弯儿的 liùwānr de: person going for a walk (Beijing
dialect)
遛狗的 liùgǒu de: person walking their dog
要饭的 yàofàn de: beggar
种地的 zhòngdì de: farmer
开出租的 kāi chūzū de: taxi driver
送外卖的 sòng wàimài de: take-out delivery guy
是……的
1. to ask occupation
- 你是做什么的? What kind of work do you do? (lit. You are what kind of work (person)?
- 我是做 IT 的。I do IT work.
2. having the "的" take the place of the noun = "one" or "it" in English
- 你是哪个学校的? Are you a student? Which school('s student)?
- Que: 你要哪个气球？(Nǐ yào nǎ gè qìqiú) Which balloon do you want?
- Ans: 我要红色的。 (Wǒ yào hóngsè de) I want the red one
3. to emphasize the state of one object.
- 我是男的。I am a man.
- 这个苹果是坏的。This apple is bad.
4. Indicating purpose or intent, e.g. "what you came for". Seek or provide information about the time, place,
manner, agent, or target of an action, and with whom.
- … + 是 + emphasized information (time, place, manner, agent or target) + …
- 是 can be omitted. Cannot be omitted in negative sentences, or in 是 ...的+noun structure.
- 我(是)来上海旅游的。I came to Shanghai to travel.
- 他(是)怎么去北京的？ How did he go to Beijing?
- …你(是)怎么知道的？How did you know about …?
- 你是什么时候开始学中文的？When was it that you started studying Chinese?
- 我是两年前开始学中文的。It was two years ago that I started studying Chinese.
- 你是不是两年前开始学中文的？Was it 2 years ago that you started to learn Chinese?
5. If the verb takes a noun as the object and the noun does not denote place, put de 的 before the object.
- 他是跟我一起看的电影。Tā shì gēn wǒ yíqǐ kàn de diànyǐng. He saw the movie with me. /It was with me that he
saw the movie.
- 他是昨天买来猫的。Tā shì zuótiān mǎilái māo de. It was yesterday that he bought the cat.
- 他是昨天买来的猫。Tā shì zuótiān mǎilái de māo. He is the cat bought yesterday.
6. This construction is associated with completed actions, it implies past tense
- (是) 什么时候买的？ (Shì) shénme shíhou mǎi de? When did you buy them?
- (是) 坐车去的。 (Shì) zuò chē qù de. I went by bus.
※ 是 ... 的 does not deal with the completion/duration/frequency of an action or the quantity of objects, should use 了.
的: Indicating a tone of strong affirmation with
- 我会去的。I will (definitely) go.
| 你可以的。You can do it. You can handle this.
Modifying nouns with adjective: Adjective + 的 + Noun
- 好看的衣服 hǎokàn de yīfú: Beautiful clothes. | 好喝的啤酒 hǎohē de píjiǔ: Great-tasting beer.
Modifying nouns with phrase: [Phrase] + 的 + Noun. (In English, it is "who/that/which/what" clause)
- 去北京的火车: The train that goes to Beijing.
- 今天来的人: The people that come today.
- 我做的饭: The food that I cook(ed).
- 上个星期去的地方: The place which we went to last week.
- 昨晚喝了很多啤酒的那个人(zuó wǎn hēle hěnduō píjiǔ de nàgè rén): That person who drank a lot of beer last night.