的 (de) — Possessive / structural particle
的 de — possessive particle
particleHSK 1Difficulty: 30
Explanation
的 (de) is the most common Chinese character. It connects a modifier to a noun. It has no English equivalent — use it whenever a phrase describes or belongs to a noun.
Typical position
Modifier + 的 + Noun
Functions
- • possession (我的书 = my book)
- • modification (红色的车 = red car)
- • nominalization (吃的 = food [that is eaten])
Common Learner Errors
- ⚠️ Forgetting 的 between adjective and noun
- ⚠️ Using 的 instead of 地 or 得