How to Show Possession with 的 (de)
的 (de) is Chinese's all-purpose possessive — like English “'s”, but broader. Owner + 的 + Thing: 我的书 (my book), 老师的车 (the teacher's car).
Why this trips learners up
If you've wondered how to show possession in Chinese, the answer is refreshingly simple: one particle, 的 (de), placed between the owner and the thing owned. 我的书 = “my book”, 老师的车 = “the teacher's car”. That's the whole rule.
The one habit to retrain is order. English gives you two patterns — “the cat's tail” and “the tail of the cat” — and Chinese collapses both into a single shape: Owner + 的 + Thing, always in that order (猫的尾巴). Get that reflex down and you've unlocked one of the most-used structures in the language — and the base you need before learning when 的 quietly drops away.
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
zhè 这 Subject shì 是 Verb wǒ 我 Subject de 的 Pattern shū 书 Object
This is my book.
nǐ 你 Subject de 的 Pattern māo 猫 Object zhēn 真 Adverb kě’ài 可爱 Adjective
Your cat is so cute.
zhè 这 Subject shì 是 Verb yīshēng 医生 Subject de 的 Pattern jiànyì 建议 Object
This is the doctor's advice.
wǒ 我 Subject xǐhuan 喜欢 Verb zhège chéngshì 这个城市 Subject de 的 Pattern yèjǐng 夜景 Object
I love this city's night view.
zhè jiā cāntīng 这家餐厅 Subject de 的 Pattern fúwù 服务 Object hěn 很 Adverb hǎo 好 Adjective
This restaurant's service is great.
zhè běn shū 这本书 Subject de 的 Pattern nèiróng 内容 Object fēicháng 非常 Adverb yǒuyìsi 有意思 Adjective
This book's content is really interesting.
Common mistakes
Why it happens: Chinese fixes the order: owner first, then 的, then the thing. “My book” is 我的书 (me-'s-book), never 书的我. If you can phrase it with English “'s” — “the X's Y” — the Chinese is X 的 Y.
Why it happens: It's tempting to drop 的 everywhere once you learn it can disappear — but the drop is only for close people and institutions. An ordinary object like a desk keeps 的: 我的桌子, not 我桌子.
Why it happens: For “mine / yours” on their own, keep the 的 — the noun is simply understood. “This one's mine” is 这个是我的 (the 的 carries “mine”), not 这个是我.
Compare & contrast
| Keep 的 (default) | Drop 的 (close ties) | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 我的车wǒ de chē | 我爸wǒ bà | An object always takes 的 (我的车). Family is close, so the 的 drops (我爸). |
| 你的电脑nǐ de diànnǎo | 你姐nǐ jiě | Your computer is just a possession — keep 的 (你的电脑). Your sister is family — drop it (你姐). |
Try it yourself
Say “This is my passport” — tap the words into the right order.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Show Possession with 的 (de) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.