For autodidact students of Mandarin, the CSV entry for Lesson 28 is "his" — which in Chinese is 他的 (tā de): the pronoun 他 (he) followed by the particle 的 (de). This lesson uses 他的 as the gateway to the structural particle 的, one of the most important and versatile particles in Chinese. 的 appears in three distinct grammatical roles — possessive/attributive, nominalising, and in the complement structure 得 (a different character but same romanisation) — and the possessive use is the clearest and most immediate entry point.
的 (de) as possessive follows a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to mark that what follows belongs to or is characterised by what precedes. 他的书 (his book), 我们的学校 (our school), 北京的天气 (Beijing's weather), 红色的苹果 (a red apple). The range is vast: 的 links possessor to possessed, and equally links modifier to modified.
Key Takeaways: - 他的 (tā de) = his — pronoun + 的 = possessive - All pronouns form possessives with 的: 我的, 你的, 她的, 我们的, 他们的 - 的 links any modifier to a noun: adjective + 的 + noun; noun + 的 + noun - 的 can be omitted with close relationships: 我妈妈 (my mum) instead of 我的妈妈 - 的 can stand alone, nominalising: 红的 (the red one), 我的 (mine)
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的 is the most frequent character in modern written Chinese. It is a phonetic compound: 白 (bái, white) on the left and 勺 (sháo, spoon) on the right — together forming a character that originally meant "bright/clear" and was then recruited as a grammatical particle because of its pronunciation. As a grammatical particle it carries no meaning of its own; its entire function is structural.
The three de particles: Chinese has three particles all romanised as de but written with different characters and serving different functions:
- 的 (de): possessive/attributive — 他的书 (his book), 漂亮的花 (beautiful flowers) - 地 (de): adverbial marker — 快乐地唱歌 (sing happily) - 得 (de): complement marker — 跑得很快 (runs very fast)
This lesson focuses on 的. The other two are distinct characters and grammatical roles encountered in later lessons.
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28.1a 他的 his 书 book 在 is-at 桌子上 table-on
28.1b (tā de) his (shū) book (zài) is-at (zhuōzi shàng) table-on
28.2a 这 this 是 is 他的 his 手机 phone 吗 Q ？
28.2b (zhè) this (shì) is (tā de) his (shǒujī) phone (ma) Q?
28.3a 他的 his 梦想 dream 是 is 成为 become 一名 one-CL 医生 doctor
28.3b (tā de) his (mèngxiǎng) dream (shì) is (chéngwéi) become (yī míng) one-CL (yīshēng) doctor
28.4a 我 I 借 borrowed 了 PERF 他的 his 自行车 bicycle
28.4b (wǒ) I (jiè) borrowed (le) PERF (tā de) his (zìxíngchē) bicycle
28.5a 他的 his 声音 voice 很 very 好听 pleasant-to-hear
28.5b (tā de) his (shēngyīn) voice (hěn) very (hǎotīng) pleasant-to-hear
28.6a 那 that 不是 not-is 他的 his 错 mistake
28.6b (nà) that (bùshì) not-is (tā de) his (cuò) mistake
28.7a 他的 his 父母 parents 都 both 是 are 老师 teachers
28.7b (tā de) his (fùmǔ) parents (dōu) both (shì) are (lǎoshī) teachers
28.8a 你 you 看 look-at 他的 his 眼神 expression-in-eyes ， , 他 he 很 very 认真 serious
28.8b (nǐ) you (kàn) look-at (tā de) his (yǎnshén) expression-in-eyes (tā) he (hěn) very (rènzhēn) serious
28.9a 他的 his 中文 Chinese 说 speak 得 DE 非常 very 流利 fluent
28.9b (tā de) his (Zhōngwén) Chinese (shuō) speak (de) DE (fēicháng) very (liúlì) fluent
28.10a 这 this 首 CL-song 歌 song 是 is 他的 his ， , 他 he 自己 self 写 wrote 的 DE
28.10b (zhè) this (shǒu) CL-song (gē) song (shì) is (tā de) his (tā) he (zìjǐ) self (xiě) wrote (de) DE
28.11a 我 I 不 not 同意 agree 他的 his 看法 viewpoint
28.11b (wǒ) I (bù) not (tóngyì) agree (tā de) his (kànfǎ) viewpoint
28.12a 他的 his 故事 story 感动 moved 了 PERF 很多 many 人 people
28.12b (tā de) his (gùshi) story (gǎndòng) moved (le) PERF (hěn duō) many (rén) people
28.13a 大家 everyone 都 all 很 very 欣赏 admire 他的 his 才华 talent
28.13b (dàjiā) everyone (dōu) all (hěn) very (xīnshǎng) admire (tā de) his (cáihuá) talent
28.14a 他的 his 离开 departure 让 made 我们 us 都 all 很 very 难过 sad
28.14b (tā de) his (líkāi) departure (ràng) made (wǒmen) us (dōu) all (hěn) very (nánguò) sad
28.15a 这 this 是 is 他的 his 第一本 first-CL-vol 书 book ， , 也 also 是 is 最好 best 的 DE 一本 one-CL-vol
28.15b (zhè) this (shì) is (tā de) his (dì yī běn) first-CL-vol (shū) book (yě) also (shì) is (zuì hǎo) best (de) DE (yī běn) one-CL-vol
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28.1 他的书在桌子上。 "His book is on the table."
28.2 这是他的手机吗？ "Is this his phone?"
28.3 他的梦想是成为一名医生。 "His dream is to become a doctor."
28.4 我借了他的自行车。 "I borrowed his bicycle."
28.5 他的声音很好听。 "His voice is very pleasant."
28.6 那不是他的错。 "That is not his mistake."
28.7 他的父母都是老师。 "Both his parents are teachers."
28.8 你看他的眼神，他很认真。 "Look at his eyes — he is very serious."
28.9 他的中文说得非常流利。 "His Chinese is spoken extremely fluently."
28.10 这首歌是他的，他自己写的。 "This song is his — he wrote it himself."
28.11 我不同意他的看法。 "I don't agree with his viewpoint."
28.12 他的故事感动了很多人。 "His story moved many people."
28.13 大家都很欣赏他的才华。 "Everyone greatly admires his talent."
28.14 他的离开让我们都很难过。 "His departure made all of us very sad."
28.15 这是他的第一本书，也是最好的一本。 "This is his first book, and also his best one."
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28.1 他的书在桌子上。 28.2 这是他的手机吗？ 28.3 他的梦想是成为一名医生。 28.4 我借了他的自行车。 28.5 他的声音很好听。 28.6 那不是他的错。 28.7 他的父母都是老师。 28.8 你看他的眼神，他很认真。 28.9 他的中文说得非常流利。 28.10 这首歌是他的，他自己写的。 28.11 我不同意他的看法。 28.12 他的故事感动了很多人。 28.13 大家都很欣赏他的才华。 28.14 他的离开让我们都很难过。 28.15 这是他的第一本书，也是最好的一本。
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These are the grammar rules for 他的 (tā de) — "his" — and for the particle 的 (de):
的 as possessive marker: [possessor] + 的 + [possessed noun]
Any pronoun, noun, or noun phrase can be connected to a following noun by 的: - Pronoun possessives: 我的 (my/mine), 你的 (your/yours), 他的 (his), 她的 (her/hers), 我们的 (our/ours), 他们的 (their/theirs) - Noun possessives: 北京的天气 (Beijing's weather), 公司的规定 (the company's rules), 他妈妈的手机 (his mother's phone)
的 omission with close relationships
When the possessive relationship involves close kinship or personal connection, 的 is often dropped in speech: 我妈妈 (my mum), 我朋友 (my friend), 他老婆 (his wife). The 的 can always be restored for clarity or formality: 我的妈妈, 我的朋友. In formal writing, 的 is retained.
的 as attributive marker: [modifier] + 的 + [noun]
的 also links adjectives and descriptive phrases to nouns — functioning as what European grammarians would call a relative clause marker: - 漂亮的花 (beautiful flowers) — adjective + 的 + noun - 他写的书 (the book he wrote) — [subject + verb] + 的 + noun - 从北京来的人 (people who came from Beijing) — [phrase] + 的 + noun - 昨天买的衣服 (the clothes bought yesterday) — [time + verb] + 的 + noun
This attributive use of 的 is the Chinese equivalent of relative clauses in English. The modifier — however long — always precedes the noun, and 的 is the join.
的 standing alone — nominalisation
When the head noun is clear from context, 的 can be used without it: 红的 (the red one), 他的 (his [one]), 便宜的 (the cheap one), 昨天买的 (the one bought yesterday). This is the same 的 as in possessives and attributives — but the noun has been elided: 这是他的书 → 这是他的 (This is his [book] → This is his).
他的中文说得非常流利 — the double-de sentence
Example 28.9 contains two de particles: 他的中文 (his Chinese — possessive 的) and 说得 (speak + complement marker 得). These are different characters serving different functions, but both romanised de. Context always distinguishes them: 的 before a noun = possessive/attributive; 得 after a verb = complement marker.
他的离开 — nominalised verb phrase
他的离开 (his departure — literally "his leaving") shows 的 nominalising a verb: 离开 (to leave) becomes 离开的 → 他的离开 (his leaving/departure). This is a productive construction: 她的到来 (her arrival), 他们的出发 (their departure), 问题的解决 (the resolution of the problem).
Common Mistakes: - Omitting 的 between adjective and noun in formal contexts: *漂亮花 — usually needs 漂亮的花 - Adding 的 unnecessarily with close relationships: 我的爸爸 is not wrong but 我爸爸 is more natural in speech - Confusing 的, 地, and 得 — all romanised de but different characters and functions
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的 is the most frequent character in written Chinese — appearing in virtually every sentence. Its ubiquity means it is one of the first characters a learner recognises in real texts, and correctly parsing it (is this possessive? attributive? nominalising?) is a core reading skill.
他的故事 (his story) and 她的故事 (her story) — indistinguishable in speech, distinct in writing — point to the cultural weight placed on written Chinese as a medium of clarity. Spoken Chinese relies on context to resolve ambiguity; written Chinese uses the character choice to make distinctions speech cannot.
In classical Chinese, 之 (zhī) served the possessive function that modern 的 now covers: 孔子之道 (the way of Confucius) in classical vs 孔子的道 in modern Chinese. The shift from 之 to 的 is one of the defining transitions between classical and modern Chinese, largely complete by the early twentieth century. When reading classical texts, learners encounter 之 where modern Chinese would use 的.
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鲁迅 (Lǔ Xùn), 《孔乙己》— Kong Yiji, 1919
Lu Xun's story about Kong Yiji — a failed scholar who cannot let go of his classical education — contains one of the most poignant uses of possessive 的 in modern Chinese fiction. The story's final line asks about the whereabouts of something that has disappeared:
此后对于孔乙己的消息，我所知道的，只是如此。
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
此后 (cǐ hòu) after-this 对于 (duìyú) regarding 孔乙己的 (Kǒng Yǐjǐ de) Kong-Yiji's 消息 (xiāoxi) news ，
我 (wǒ) I 所 (suǒ) [NOMINALIZER] 知道的 (zhīdào de) know-DE ，
只是 (zhǐshì) only-is 如此 (rúcǐ) like-this
F-B: Authentic Text with Translation
此后对于孔乙己的消息，我所知道的，只是如此。
"After that, all I know of news concerning Kong Yiji is this."
F-C: Authentic Text Only
此后对于孔乙己的消息，我所知道的，只是如此。
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
孔乙己的消息 (Kǒng Yǐjǐ de xiāoxi): "news of Kong Yiji" — 的 linking the person (possessor) to the noun (news). It is his news in the sense of news about him, belonging to him as subject.
我所知道的 (wǒ suǒ zhīdào de): 所 is a classical nominaliser creating a noun clause from a verb: 所知道 = "that which is known." 我所知道的 = "that which I know." The 的 nominalises the entire 所 phrase. This 所…的 pattern appears frequently in formal and literary Chinese.
如此 (rúcǐ): "like this / thus" — classical form of 这样 (zhèyàng). Used in formal and literary writing to summarise or conclude.
F-E: Literary Commentary
Lu Xun ends the story with 他的消息 — his news — reduced to nothing. The narrator knows nothing more. 的 in Kong Yiji的消息 is possessive in the deepest sense: this is the news that belongs to him, that he has left in the world. And it is nothing: 只是如此 (only this). The possessive 的 connects a vanished man to the knowledge of his disappearance. What is his — his story, his news, his name — has faded. The particle 的 is all that is left to connect him to the sentence.
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A portrait of a craftsman — a carpenter who has devoted his life to wood and precision. All 15 genre examples use 他的 in possessive and attributive positions, building a complete picture of a person through what belongs to him and what is characteristic of him.
28.16a 他的 his 手 hands 粗糙 rough ， , 却 but 很 very 灵活 nimble
28.16b (tā de) his (shǒu) hands (cūcāo) rough (què) but (hěn) very (línghuó) nimble
28.17a 他的 his 工坊 workshop 在 is-at 城 city 郊 outskirts 一条 one-CL 安静 quiet 的 DE 小路 small-road 旁边 beside
28.17b (tā de) his (gōngfáng) workshop (zài) is-at (chéng) city (jiāo) outskirts (yī tiáo) one-CL (ānjìng) quiet (de) DE (xiǎolù) small-road (pángbiān) beside
28.18a 他的 his 工具 tools 每天 every-day 都 all 擦 wiped 得 DE 干干净净 spotlessly-clean
28.18b (tā de) his (gōngjù) tools (měitiān) every-day (dōu) all (cā) wiped (de) DE (gāngānjìngjìng) spotlessly-clean
28.19a 他的 his 作品 works 从不 never 快 quick ， , 每 every 一件 one-CL 都 all 要 require 几个 several-CL 月 months
28.19b (tā de) his (zuòpǐn) works (cóng bù) never (kuài) quick (měi) every (yī jiàn) one-CL (dōu) all (yào) require (jǐ gè) several-CL (yuè) months
28.20a 他的 his 儿子 son 曾经 once 问 asked 他 him ： : "你 you 的 DE 工作 work 不 not 累 tiring 吗 Q ？"**
28.20b (tā de) his (érzi) son (céngjīng) once (wèn) asked (tā) him (nǐ) you (de) DE (gōngzuò) work (bù) not (lèi) tiring (ma) Q?
28.21a 他 he 说 said ： : "不 not 累 tiring ， , 做 doing 自己 own 喜欢 like 的 DE 事 things ， , 不算 not-count 累 tiring 。"
28.21b (tā) he (shuō) said (bù) not (lèi) tiring (zuò) doing (zìjǐ) own (xǐhuan) like (de) DE (shì) things (bù suàn) not-count (lèi) tiring
28.22a 他的 his 客人 customers 来 come 自 from 全国 whole-country 各地 various-places
28.22b (tā de) his (kèrén) customers (lái zì) come-from (quánguó) whole-country (gèdì) various-places
28.23a 他们 they 说 say 他的 his 家具 furniture 有 has "生命" life 在 in 里面 inside
28.23b (tāmen) they (shuō) say (tā de) his (jiājù) furniture (yǒu) has ("shēngmìng") "life" (zài) in (lǐmiàn) inside
28.24a 他的 his 价格 prices 从不 never 便宜 cheap ， , 但 but 从没 never 有人 anyone 讲价 bargain
28.24b (tā de) his (jiàgé) prices (cóng bù) never (piányí) cheap (dàn) but (cóng méi) never (yǒu rén) anyone (jiǎngjià) bargain
28.25a 他的 his 头发 hair 白了 white-PERF ， , 他的 his 眼睛 eyes 却 but 还是 still 那么 that-so 亮 bright
28.25b (tā de) his (tóufa) hair (bái le) white-PERF (tā de) his (yǎnjīng) eyes (què) but (háishì) still (nàme) that-so (liàng) bright
28.26a 他 he 从不 never 用 use 手机 phone ， , 说 says 手机 phone 打扰 disturbs 他的 his 思路 train-of-thought
28.26b (tā) he (cóng bù) never (yòng) use (shǒujī) phone (shuō) says (shǒujī) phone (dǎrǎo) disturbs (tā de) his (sīlù) train-of-thought
28.27a 他的 his 午饭 lunch 永远 always 是 is 一碗 one-bowl 面条 noodles 和 and 一杯 one-cup 茶 tea
28.27b (tā de) his (wǔfàn) lunch (yǒngyuǎn) always (shì) is (yī wǎn) one-bowl (miàntiáo) noodles (hé) and (yī bēi) one-cup (chá) tea
28.28a 他的 his 木 wood 屑 shavings 气味 smell 是 is 他 his 工坊 workshop 里 inside 最 most 好闻 pleasant-smelling 的 DE 东西 thing
28.28b (tā de) his (mù) wood (xiè) shavings (qìwèi) smell (shì) is (tā) his (gōngfáng) workshop (lǐ) inside (zuì) most (hǎo wén) pleasant-smelling (de) DE (dōngxi) thing
28.29a 人们 people 问 ask 他 him 他的 his 秘诀 secret ， , 他 he 说 says ： : "慢慢来 slowly-come 。"
28.29b (rénmen) people (wèn) ask (tā) him (tā de) his (mìjué) secret (tā) he (shuō) says (màn màn lái) slowly-come
28.30a 他的 his 一生 lifetime 做 made 了 PERF 无数 countless 件 CL 东西 things ， , 但 but 最好 best 的 DE 作品 work ， , 他 he 说 says ， , 还没 not-yet 做 made 出来 out
28.30b (tā de) his (yī shēng) lifetime (zuò) made (le) PERF (wúshù) countless (jiàn) CL (dōngxi) things (dàn) but (zuì hǎo) best (de) DE (zuòpǐn) work (tā) he (shuō) says (hái méi) not-yet (zuò) made (chū lái) out
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28.16 他的手粗糙，却很灵活。 "His hands are rough, but very nimble."
28.17 他的工坊在城郊一条安静的小路旁边。 "His workshop is beside a quiet lane on the outskirts of the city."
28.18 他的工具每天都擦得干干净净。 "His tools are wiped spotlessly clean every day."
28.19 他的作品从不快，每一件都要几个月。 "His work is never fast — every piece takes several months."
28.20 他的儿子曾经问他："你的工作不累吗？" "His son once asked him: 'Isn't your work tiring?'"
28.21 他说："不累，做自己喜欢的事，不算累。" "He said: 'Not tiring — doing what you love doesn't count as tiring.'"
28.22 他的客人来自全国各地。 "His customers come from all over the country."
28.23 他们说他的家具有"生命"在里面。 "They say his furniture has 'life' inside it."
28.24 他的价格从不便宜，但从没有人讲价。 "His prices are never cheap, but no one ever bargains."
28.25 他的头发白了，他的眼睛却还是那么亮。 "His hair has gone white, but his eyes are still as bright as ever."
28.26 他从不用手机，说手机打扰他的思路。 "He never uses a phone — he says it disturbs his train of thought."
28.27 他的午饭永远是一碗面条和一杯茶。 "His lunch is always a bowl of noodles and a cup of tea."
28.28 他的木屑气味是他工坊里最好闻的东西。 "The smell of his wood shavings is the most pleasant thing in his workshop."
28.29 人们问他他的秘诀，他说："慢慢来。" "People ask him his secret. He says: 'Slowly does it.'"
28.30 他的一生做了无数件东西，但最好的作品，他说，还没做出来。 "In his lifetime he has made countless things — but his best work, he says, has not yet been made."
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28.16 他的手粗糙，却很灵活。 28.17 他的工坊在城郊一条安静的小路旁边。 28.18 他的工具每天都擦得干干净净。 28.19 他的作品从不快，每一件都要几个月。 28.20 他的儿子曾经问他："你的工作不累吗？" 28.21 他说："不累，做自己喜欢的事，不算累。" 28.22 他的客人来自全国各地。 28.23 他们说他的家具有"生命"在里面。 28.24 他的价格从不便宜，但从没有人讲价。 28.25 他的头发白了，他的眼睛却还是那么亮。 28.26 他从不用手机，说手机打扰他的思路。 28.27 他的午饭永远是一碗面条和一杯茶。 28.28 他的木屑气味是他工坊里最好闻的东西。 28.29 人们问他他的秘诀，他说："慢慢来。" 28.30 他的一生做了无数件东西，但最好的作品，他说，还没做出来。
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却 (què): "but / yet" — a conjunction marking unexpected contrast, similar to 但是 (Lesson 23) but with a specific connotation of surprise or irony. 他的手粗糙，却很灵活 (His hands are rough, yet very nimble) — the roughness would lead you to expect clumsiness; the nimbleness surprises. 却 always introduces the unexpected outcome. It cannot start a sentence — it must follow its contrast term.
从不 (cóng bù): "never" — 从 (from) + 不 (not) = "from [the beginning/always] not." A fixed adverb expressing habitual negation: 从不说谎 (never lies), 从不抱怨 (never complains). Slightly more emphatic than 不经常 (not often); implies consistency across all time.
好闻 / 好看 / 好吃 / 好听 — "good-[sense-verb]" compounds: 好 (good/easy) + sense verb = pleasant to [sense]. 好闻 (pleasant-smelling — lit. "good to smell"), 好看 (good-looking), 好吃 (delicious — good to eat), 好听 (pleasant to hear). These compounds are productive: anything experienced through a sense can be qualified this way. The negative: 难闻 (unpleasant-smelling), 难看 (ugly), 难吃 (unpleasant-tasting).
做出来 (zuò chū lái): "make [it] out [into the world]" — verb 做 (make) + directional complement 出来 (outward, into existence/view). 做出来 means to bring something into completed existence — from potential to actual. 他的最好作品还没做出来 (his best work has not yet been brought into existence). This complement captures the craftsman's philosophy: the best is always still to come, always still being drawn out.
慢慢来 (màn màn lái): "slowly does it / take it slowly" — a fixed expression of extraordinary cultural resonance. 慢慢 (slowly, gradually) + 来 (come/do). Used to advise patience, to soothe anxiety, to describe a good process. The craftsman's 慢慢来 is his entire philosophy: quality cannot be hurried.
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他的 (tā de) — IPA: /tʰa˥.də/
他 (tā): first tone — aspirated alveolar stop [tʰ] + open vowel [a], held at high level pitch. Full first tone.
的 (de): neutral tone — dental stop [d] + central schwa [ə], completely unstressed. The character 的 in possessive function is always neutral tone. It never carries a full tone when functioning as a grammatical particle.
In connected speech: 他的 often runs together as [tʰadə] — the first tone of 他 is maintained, but 的 is barely audible, a brief voiced schwa appended to the main syllable. In casual speech it may reduce further: 他的书 sounds close to [tʰa.ʂu].
The three de particles in pronunciation: - 的 (de, possessive/attributive): always neutral tone — [də] or reduced [d] - 地 (de, adverbial): always neutral tone in this function — [də] - 得 (de, complement): always neutral tone in this function — [də]
All three are pronounced identically in context. Only the character (in writing) and the grammatical position (in speech) distinguish them. This is a case where Chinese writing makes grammatical distinctions that speech leaves implicit.
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