How to use 的
Adj. + 的 + Noun
An adjective can modify a noun by coming before 的 and then the noun. This places the description before the thing described, unlike some English structures that add descriptions afterward. Longer adjective phrases generally retain 的, making the connection between the modifier and noun easy to recognize.
Some short, familiar adjective and noun combinations omit the particle, so omission depends partly on the expression and context rather than character count alone. When the noun is already understood, an adjective followed by 的 can stand for the described item or items. Keep the particle in that shortened form: it helps turn the description into a phrase referring to something, rather than merely asserting a quality.
Examples with pinyin and English
漂亮的女孩儿
beautiful girl
辣的菜
spicy food
可爱的宝宝
a cute baby
我喜欢新鲜的果汁。
I like fresh fruit juice.
What to remember
- Put the description before 的 and noun.
- Longer adjective modifiers generally keep 的.
- Adjective plus 的 can replace an understood noun.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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