---
title: "的 (de) in Chinese: How to Use It, 的 vs 地 vs 得 and 是…的, With Sound"
description: "How to use 的 (de), answering what learners ask: 的 for “’s”, before a noun, for “the one”, 是…的, 的 at the end of a sentence, 的 vs 地 vs 得 and why it is sometimes said di, each in sentences with pinyin and Play."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-de"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

Free · 32 sentences

# How to use 的 (de)

的 is the most common character in Chinese, and it joins words: it is “’s”, it joins a description to a noun, it stands for “the one”, and it ends a sentence you’re sure of. Here are its uses, each answering a question learners ask about it, in sentences with pinyin and sound.

萤火虫yínghuǒchóngfirefly

Speed

## 的 for “’s”

After a person or a thing, 的 is “’s”: 妈妈的手机, Mum’s phone; 我的书, my book; 谁的, whose. Before family and the places you belong to it is usually left out: 我妈妈, 我们学校.

zhè这shì是wǒ我de的shū书。

This is my book.

māma妈妈de的shǒujī手机zài在zhuōzi桌子shàng上。

Mum’s phone is on the table.

zhè这shì是shéi谁de的bāo包？

Whose bag is this?

wǒ我māma妈妈shì是lǎoshī老师。

My mum is a teacher.

## 的 before a noun: what it’s like

Whatever comes before 的 describes the noun after it, from one word to a whole phrase: 红色的衣服, red clothes; 我昨天买的书, the book I bought yesterday. English puts a long description after the noun; Chinese puts it first.

wǒ我xiǎng想mǎi买yī一jiàn件hóngsè红色de的yīfu衣服。

I want to buy something red to wear.

zhè这shì是wǒ我zuótiān昨天mǎi买de的shū书。

This is the book I bought yesterday.

chuān穿bái白chènshān衬衫de的nà那gè个rén人shì是wǒ我gēge哥哥。

The man in the white shirt is my brother.

tā他shì是yīgè一个hěn很hǎo好de的rén人。

He’s a really good person.

## 的 for “the one”

When it’s clear what you mean, leave the noun out and keep 的: 红的, the red one; 我的, mine; 吃的, something to eat; 开车的, the one driving.

wǒ我bùyào不要zhège这个，wǒ我yào要hóng红de的。

I don’t want this one, I want the red one.

zhè这běn本shū书shì是wǒ我de的。

This book is mine.

nǐ你yǒu有chī吃de的ma吗？

Do you have anything to eat?

kāichē开车de的shì是wǒ我bàba爸爸。

The one driving is my dad.

## 是…的: when, where and how it happened

For something that already happened, 是…的 picks out a detail: when, where, how or who. 是 goes before the detail and 的 at the end: 我是坐飞机来的, I came by plane. 是 can be left out, but not after 不.

nǐ你shì是shénme什么shíhou时候dào到de的？

When did you get here?

wǒ我shì是zuò坐fēijī飞机lái来de的。

I came by plane.

tāmen他们bùshì不是zài在wǎngshang网上rènshi认识de的。

They didn’t meet online.

shéi谁gàosu告诉nǐ你de的？

Who told you?

[See it in our stories](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/shi-de)

## 的 at the end: I’m sure

At the end of a sentence, often with 会, 的 says you’re sure of it: 我会去的, I’ll be there, don’t worry. Without it, the sentence is plainer.

bié别dānxīn担心，wǒ我huì会qù去de的。

Don’t worry, I’ll be there.

nǐ你kěyǐ可以de的！

You can do it!

tā他bùhuì不会shēngqì生气de的。

He won’t be angry, I’m sure.

wǒ我gēn跟nǐ你shuō说guo过de的，nǐ你wàng忘le了？

I told you before. Did you forget?

## 的, 地 or 得?

All three are said de. 的 goes before a noun (最好的朋友), 地 before a verb, like “-ly” (认真地听), and 得 after a verb, saying how it went (说得对). Chinese teachers have a rhyme for it: 动前“土”，名前“白”，动形中间“双人”来, before a verb the one with 土, before a noun the one with 白, after a verb the one with 彳.

tā他shì是wǒ我zuìhǎo最好de的péngyou朋友。

He’s my best friend.

tā她rènzhēn认真de地tīng听lǎoshī老师shuōhuà说话。

She listened carefully to the teacher.

nǐ你shuō说de得duì对。

You’re right.

tā他gāoxìng高兴de得tiào跳le了qǐlai起来。

He jumped for joy.

[See it in our stories](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/v-de-c)

## How is 的 said?

Joining words, it is de: light and toneless. In a few words it keeps a full sound: dí in 的确, indeed; dì in 目的, purpose; and dī in 的士, a taxi. Singers often sing the particle di, the fuller sound that de is a light form of.

tā他shuō说de的díquè的确shì是zhēnde真的。

What he said really is true.

zhè这cì次lǚxíng旅行de的mùdìdì目的地shì是xī’ān西安。

This trip’s destination is Xi’an.

wǒmen我们zuò坐dīshì的士qù去ba吧。

Let’s take a taxi.

## 的 in everyday words

Some words hold 的 for good: 的确 is “indeed”, 目的 a purpose, and 的话 ends an “if”.

zhè这gè个cài菜díquè的确hěn很hǎochī好吃。

This dish really is good.

的确 díquè · indeed; really

nǐ你xué学zhōngwén中文de的mùdì目的shì是shénme什么？

Why are you learning Chinese?

目的 mùdì · purpose; aim; goal

nǐ你bù不shūfu舒服dehuà的话，jiù就zǎodiǎn早点huíjiā回家ba吧。

If you don’t feel well, go home early.

的话 dehuà · if (at the end of an “if” part)

nǐ你hái还yào要biéde别的ma吗？

Do you want anything else?

别的 biéde · other; else

yǒude有的rén人xǐhuan喜欢hēchá喝茶，yǒude有的rén人xǐhuan喜欢hē喝kāfēi咖啡。

Some people like tea, and some like coffee.

有的 yǒude · some (of them)

## Now read them in a real story

[**学用筷子**Learning to use chopsticksHSK 3 · 1 minRead it free](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-use-chopsticks-story)

## What does 的 (de) mean?

的 is the most common character in Chinese text, and it has no meaning of its own: it joins words. Most often it is “’s” (妈妈的, Mum’s) or joins a description to a noun (红色的衣服, red clothes; 我买的书, the book I bought). With the noun left out it is “the one” (红的, the red one), and at the end of a sentence it makes you sound sure (我会去的).

## What’s the difference between 的, 地 and 得?

的 goes before a noun (我的书, my book), 地 before a verb, like “-ly” (慢慢地走, walk slowly), and 得 after a verb, saying how it went (她说得很好, she speaks well). All three are said de.

## Why is 的 sometimes pronounced di?

的 is de when it joins words. It keeps a full sound in some words: dí in 的确 (indeed), dì in 目的 (purpose) and dī in 的士 (taxi). In songs it is often sung di, the fuller sound that de is a light form of.

## Why is there a 的 at the end of a sentence?

With 会 or 能 before it, 的 says you’re sure: 我会去的, I’ll be there. After something that already happened, it ends a 是…的 sentence, which picks out when, where or how: 我是昨天到的, I got here yesterday.

## When do you leave out 的?

Before family, close friends and the places you belong to: 我妈妈, 我女朋友, 我们学校. And in pairs that name a kind of thing, like 好人, a good person, or 中文老师, a Chinese teacher.

## In what order do describing words go before a noun?

Whose comes first, then this or that with a number and measure word, then the descriptions: longer ones, with 的, farther out, and short ones without 的 next to the noun. 我那两件白色长衬衫 is those two long white shirts of mine, and 一条漂亮的红围巾 a beautiful red scarf. What kind of thing it is goes right before it: 中文小说, a Chinese novel.

## Can’t hear it?

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## More free tools

- [How to use 了 (le)](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-le)
- [How to use 就 (jiù)](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-jiu)
- [Chinese particles](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-particles)
- [Chinese grammar](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar)
- [Chinese grammar checker](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar-checker)

Answers and sentences ours, checked against the Chinese Grammar Wiki and the top answers on Chinese Stack Exchange; meanings from our own dictionary; pinyin from our own reader.