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Lesson 9, Pattern 3: when to use de 的
last revised January 8, 2004

By Lesson 9, you have learned some, but not all, of the ways 的 can be used to modify a noun.  The main noun is always at the end of the phrase, with all the modifiers coming before it.  Here is a summary of what you've learned so far.
 
When 的 is usually used
Possession 
Noun1 /的 / Noun2		 媽媽的鞋 Mama's shoes
圖書館的書 the library's books
他的大衣 his overcoat
2-character or complex adjectives 
Adjective / 的 / Noun
Adverb / Adjective / 的 / Noun		 很好的朋友 very good friend
好看的朋友 good-looking friend
Complex constructs usually in this order: 
  1. possession (的)
  2. (這/那) / (number) / measure word
  3. (adverb) / adjective / 的
  4. (adverb) / adjective / 的
  5. (adverb) / adjective / (的)
The last 的 can be omitted if the adjective is a single character and there is no adverb with it.  If there is no number or 這/那, then the measure word is not necessary.		 新的白襯衫 new white shirt
新的中國電影 new Chinese movie
我的兩條褲子 my two pairs of pants
大的黃襯衫 large, yellow shirt
The final noun may be omitted in all cases if clear from context. 我的 mine (my one)
紅的 the red one
我們學校的 our school's (one)
新的 the new one

When 的 is NOT usually used
Note:  In some cases, 的 is optional.
Noun1 shows a characteristic of Noun2 
(especially if a country or language) 
Noun1 / Noun2		 中國朋友 Chinese friend
美國飯 American food
法文書 French (language) book
學生宿舍 student dorm
Possession where Noun2 is family member or group to which Personal Pronoun belongs (的 is optional) 
Personal Pronoun / family member		 我媽媽 my mother
我們學校 our school
(這/那) / (Number) / Measure Word / Noun 那兩張照片 these two photographs
Single-character adjective (的 is optional) 
Adjective / Noun		 男朋友 male friend 
(boyfriend) 
白襯衫 white shirt
新電影 new movie
多 or 少 with adverb 
Adverb /  多 or 少 / Noun
Note:  quite often, Chinese speakers prefer to say 不多 rather than 很少 to mean "very few."		 很多朋友 many friends
很少書 few books
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