Grammar reference
Noun/Pronoun + 的 + Noun
的 (de) — possession
的 works like 's/'of' — put it between the owner and the thing owned: 我的书 (my book), 老师的车 (the teacher's car). For close relationships and small social groups (family, close friends, one's own school/company) 的 is often dropped: 我妈妈 not 我的妈妈, 我们学校 not 我们的学校.
Examples
- 这是我的书。zhè shì wǒ de shū
This is my book.
- 他的名字叫小明。tā de míng zi jiào xiǎo míng
His name is Xiaoming.
- 我爸爸是医生。wǒ bà ba shì yī shēng
My dad is a doctor.
Common mistake
✗ Wrong: 我的爸爸是医生。
✓ Right: 我爸爸是医生。
的 is usually dropped before close family terms — 我爸爸, 我妈妈, 我哥哥, etc. Keeping 的 isn't grammatically wrong, but it sounds unnaturally distant, like 'the father belonging to me'.
Practice this pattern
Fill in the missing character:
这是我＿书。
This is my book.