en
cs
da
de
it
plThe three constructional particles de 的, de 得, and de 地 can sometimes be confusing for learners. One reason is that their pronunciation is the same. Also, all three words have a grammatical function only—they indicate grammatical relations between words, and therefore, we do not translate them. However, they serve different functions in a sentence. We can differentiate them with some tips.
Here is a basic framework of the most typical usage:
De 的 is usually called an “attributive marker”—it” stands between an attributive and the following noun.
De 的 can only be omitted under certain circumstances, for example, when there is a close relationship between the owner and the noun (我家 wǒ jiā ‘my home‘) or when the adjective has only one syllable (大车/車 dà chē ‘big car‘). Also, the omission is more frequent in colloquial contexts.
De 得 has multiple grammatical functions. However, we can generalize them by referring to de 得 as the “complement marker”, which indicates how the action epressed by the verb is performed. That is, an evaluation or a result of the action. De 得 is often placed after a verb or an adjective, and the word following de 得 can be an adverb, a verb, or even a clause.
If there is an object following the verb (including separable verbs), the verb should be repeated following this scheme: V + O + V + de 得 + complement. De 得 cannot be omitted under any circumstances.
Lastly, de 地 is an “adverbial marker” and is primarily used to link the verb with a preceding descriptive adverbial, which describes the manner in which the subject performs an action. The adverbial with de 地 should precede the verb, which is usually the predicate in the sentence. In certain situations, it is possible to omit de 地 (see explanation of Structural particle de 地).
Now compare the three de in the following context.
The sentences above demonstrate the usage of all three structural particles (de 地, de 的, de 得) in their typical functions:
- Mànmàn de xiě zì 慢慢地写/寫字 ‘write slowly’ shows the way or manner how the sister writes, with de 地 linking the adverbial mànmàn 慢慢 ‘slowly’ to the verb xiě 写/寫 ‘to write’;
- Tā de zì 她的字 ‘her characters’ is the subject of the second sentence; it is used to indicate possession, where the pronoun tā 她 ‘she’ and de 的 serves as the attribute modifying the noun zì 字 ‘character’;
- Xiě zì xiě de hěn hǎo 写/寫字写/寫得很好 ‘write (characters) well’ expresses the evaluation or comment of the action xiě zì 写/寫字 ‘to write (characters)’, describing how well she writes, indicating that the action is habitual or has already happened.