的 (de)

possessive particle; attributive particle

How 的 is written

Strokes
8
Radical
白 — white
Traditional
的
Simplified
的 (unchanged)

Components

的 has 3 readings

The pronunciation changes with the meaning, so the reading has to be learned per word.

de
of; ~'s (possessive particle); (used after an attribute); (used to form a nominal expression)
dí
really and truly
dì
aim; clear

Common words using 的

中的 zhòngdì
to hit the target; to hit the nail on the head
亞的斯亞貝巴 yàdìsīyàbèibā
Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia
似的 shìde
seems as if; rather like
假的 jiǎde
bogus; ersatz; fake
別的 biéde
else; other
好樣的 hǎoyàngde
(idiom) a good person, used to praise sb's moral integrity or courage
媽的 māde
see 他媽的|他妈的[ta1 ma1 de5]
小的 xiǎode
I (when talking to a superior)
打的 dǎdī
(slang) to take a taxi; to go by taxi
摩的 módī
motorcycle taxi; abbr. for 摩托車的士|摩托车的士[mo2 tuo1 che1 di2 shi4]
有的 yǒude
(there are) some (who are...); some (exist)
有的時候 yǒudeshíhòu
sometimes; at times

的 in a sentence

這是我的書。

Zhè shì wǒ de shū.

“This is my book.”

How common is 的?

的 is the 1st most frequent character in written Chinese. Characters up to this rank account for about 4.1% of all running text.

Characters that appear with 的

Master 的 and 5,000 others.

Flashcards and Writing Practice. Every single character in A Course in Contemporary Chinese 當代中文課程.

的
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