The significance of 「的」
「的」is considered the most frequently used Chinese character. It is therefore the third character that is taught in the Basic Chinese 500 course. To native Chinese, this is a very insignificant word because it does not carry a specific meaning when on its own. There are even Chinese idioms that emphasize its insignificance (「的的了了」meaning unimportant, tedious details). The truth is, this character plays many important roles in giving specific meaning to words, sentences, expressions, etc.
This could also be one of the most confusing words to many foreign learners. Not only it has many different properties, it is also pronounced differently depending on its usage. To crack some of its puzzle, let us start by looking at some of its most common usages.
1. It signifies ownership
Examples
我的爸爸 my father
他的朋友 his friend
大家的希望 everyone’s hope
2. It describes
Examples
紅色的花 red flower
快樂的孩子 happy children
明亮的房間 a bright room
小小的進步 a small progress
3. It acts as a pronoun
4. It acts as a particle
Examples
Examples
5. It emphasizes
Example | Translation |
|---|---|
他聽了三次才記住的名字 | a name that HE HAD TO HEAR IT 3 TIMES before he could remember |
他買的水果 | the fruit that HE bought |
我在一個下雨天見到的人 | the person that I saw ON ONE RAINY DAY |
我在學校門口拾到的筆 | the pen that I found AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE SCHOOL |
There are 3 different pronunciations to the character「的」(dí, dì, de), depending on its meaning. In the cases that we have discussed here, it is pronounced as “de”, with no specific intonation. That simplifies things a little bit, don’t you agree?
我們會經常為大家探討漢字和語文的課題。
要是你有特別的相關課題希望我們探討，歡迎您告訴我們。
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Sagebooks Hongkong promotes independent reading and life-long learning by nurturing the child’s confidence, autonomy and self-teaching abilities. Since 2006. Find out more About Us.
© 2020 Sagebooks Hongkong. All rights reserved.
Sagebooks Hongkong promotes independent reading and life-long learning by nurturing the child’s confidence, autonomy and self-teaching abilities. Since 2006. Find out more About Us.
© 2020 Sagebooks Hongkong. All rights reserved.