De: whose, and how well
的 for whose something is and to describe a noun, and 得 after a verb for how well something is done, as in 他说得很好.
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De: whose, and how well, explained point by point
Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.
Use 的 to say whose something is
的 after a person works like an apostrophe s: 老师的书 (the teacher's book), 我的手机 (my phone), 我朋友的妈妈 (my friend's mum).
Leave 的 out for family and close groups
With people close to you, and groups you belong to, 的 is usually dropped: 我妈妈, 我哥哥, 我家, 我们学校. Keep it for your things: 我的书包.
Use 的 to describe a noun
Whatever describes a noun goes in front of it, with 的 in between: 漂亮的衣服, 中国的文化. A place phrase works the same way: 桌子上的手机 (the phone on the table).
Put a whole description before the noun
Chinese has no word for who or which. The whole description goes before the noun, ending in 的: 我买的衣服 (the clothes I bought), 在北京工作的朋友 (a friend who works in Beijing). When you read, find the 的, and the noun it describes comes straight after.
Leave the noun out after 的
When it's clear what you mean, the noun can go: 这本书是我的。 (This book is mine.) 我要红的。 (I'd like the red one.)
Use 得 to say how well something is done
After a verb, 得 and a description say how the action goes: 他写得很快。 (He writes fast.) 你说得很好！ (You speak well!) For not well, the 不 goes after 得: 我唱得不好。
Tell 的 and 得 apart
Both are said de, so the place in the sentence tells you which to write. Before a noun, it is 的: 好吃的饺子. After a verb, it is 得: 做得很好. A character that only sounds right can stop a reader following you, so this one is worth the care.
Use 得 when the verb has an object, or in a comparisonHigher only
With an object, say the verb twice: 她说汉语说得很好。 Or put the object first: 她汉语说得很好。 In a comparison, 比 can come after 得: 他写得比我快。 (He writes faster than me.)
De: whose, and how well key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- 的
- Links a person or a description to the noun after it: 我的书, 漂亮的衣服.
- 得
- After a verb, brings in how well or how the action is done: 说得很快.
- Possession
- Whose something is, shown with 的: 老师的书.
- Description before the noun
- In Chinese every describing phrase goes in front of its noun, ending in 的: 我买的衣服.
- 我的, 你的 and 他的
- My or mine, your or yours, his. On their own they mean mine, yours and his: 这是我的.
- Complement of degree
- The description after 得 that says how well something is done: the 很好 in 说得很好.
- Same sound, different character
- 的 and 得 are both said de, so the place in the sentence tells you which one to write.
Common mistakes in De: whose, and how well
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Writing 的 after a verb, as in 他写的很快.
After a verb, use 得: 他写得很快. 的 goes before a noun.
Putting the description after the noun, as in 朋友在北京工作 for a friend who works in Beijing.
The description goes first, ending in 的: 在北京工作的朋友.
Putting 不 before the verb in a 得 sentence, as in 我不唱得好.
The 不 goes after 得, with the description it makes negative: 我唱得不好.
Leaving 的 out of a long description, as in 我买衣服很漂亮 for the clothes I bought are lovely.
A description needs 的 before its noun: 我买的衣服很漂亮.
Putting the object straight after 得, as in 他说得汉语很好.Higher only
Say the verb twice, 他说汉语说得很好, or put the object first: 他汉语说得很好.
Practice
Try a De: whose, and how well question
A GCSE-style original question from this topic. Have a go before you open the working - deciding on an answer first is what makes the working stick.
What does 我很喜欢吃妈妈做的饺子。 mean?
- My mum really likes making dumplings for me.
- I really like making dumplings with my mum.
- My mum really likes the dumplings I make.
- I really like eating the dumplings my mum makes.
Show the answer and the working
Answer: I really like eating the dumplings my mum makes.
妈妈做的饺子 is the dumplings mum makes: everything before 的 describes 饺子.
- 我很喜欢吃: I really like eating.
- 妈妈做的 describes 饺子.
- So: the dumplings my mum makes.