的
Pattern
Owner + 的 + noun
Key words
Core idea
Possessive 的 connects a person or noun phrase to something associated with it. The relationship can be ownership, authorship, membership, or a familiar connection.
The possessor comes first. The noun being identified comes after 的.
When it can disappear
Close family relationships often omit 的 because the relationship is obvious and intimate. For other relationships, keeping 的 is the safer beginner choice.
Mini-rule: if the relationship is close, personal, and obvious, omission may sound natural. If the relationship needs to be specified, or if the phrase is formal, institutional, or descriptive, keep 的.
Possessive 的 and modifier 的 share the same surface form, but the relationship is different: one links an owner or associated person; the other turns a description into a noun modifier.
Examples
这是我的书。
Zhè shì wǒ de shū.
This is my book.
的 connects 我 and 书.
老师的名字很长。
Lǎoshī de míngzi hěn cháng.
The teacher’s name is very long.
我妈妈今天很忙。
Wǒ māma jīntiān hěn máng.
My mom is very busy.
With close family, 的 is often omitted.
Common mistakes
Avoid
我书在桌上。
Use
我的书在桌上。
Use 的 when the relationship is not one of the close family-style omissions.
Avoid
书的我
Use
我的书
The possessor comes before 的, and the possessed noun comes after it.