的 de

HSK 1 word

Meanings

of; ~'s (possessive particle)
(used after an attribute when it modifies a noun)
(used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis)
(used after a noun, verb or adjective to form a nominal expression, as in 皮革的 "one made of leather" or 跑堂儿的 "a waiter (literally, one who runs back and forth in a restaurant)" or 新的 "new one")

Characters

的 de, dì: of; ~'s (possessive particle)

Grammar: Possession with 的

Noun / Pronoun + 的 + Noun

Put 的 between an owner and what they own, like English "'s" or "of". If it is clear what you mean, the second noun can be left out: 谁的 means "whose (one)". With close people and groups, like family, 的 is often dropped: 我妈妈.

Grammar: Describing nouns with 的

Adjective / Phrase + 的 + Noun

In Chinese, everything that describes a noun comes before it, joined with 的: an adjective, a phrase or even a whole clause. Short one-syllable adjectives often skip it (好人), but longer descriptions need it. As with possession, the noun can be left out: 新的 is "the new one".

Example sentences

是的。
Yes.
Tatoeba #478749 by biglion (CC BY 2.0 FR)

好的。
Okay.
Tatoeba #6057700 by xjjAstrus (CC BY 2.0 FR)

你的？
Yours?
Tatoeba #13111561 by LeviHighway (CC BY 2.0 FR)

Meanings and readings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0).