2 · The particle de and modification
Describing a noun: adjective, de, noun
adjectives in front of a noun
An adjective with a word like hěn in front of it takes de before the noun; a bare one-syllable adjective usually joins the noun directly.
An adjective that describes a noun stands in front of it, as in English, and 的 joins the two: 很贵的衣服, very expensive clothes, 漂亮的花, beautiful flowers, 安静的地方, a quiet place. Most two-syllable adjectives take 的 like this.
A bare one-syllable adjective usually goes straight onto the noun, and the pair feels almost like one word: 好人, a good person, 新书, a new book, 大房子, a big house, 小孩子, a small child. Adding 的 here is possible but changes the tone: it makes the adjective stand out, often in contrast — 新的书, the new books, not the old ones.
As soon as the adjective has an adverb in front of it — 很, 非常, 太, 特别 — 的 is required: 很好的人. There is no “very good person” without it. The one common exception is 很多, “many”, which goes straight onto the noun: 很多人.
English speakers meet 很 first in sentences like 这件衣服很贵, where the adjective is the predicate and there is no 的. Before a noun the pattern is different: the moment 很 comes in, 的 comes with it. Mixing the two patterns gives the most common mistake here, “a very big room” without the particle.
The form
| very + adjective + de + noun | 很贵的衣服 |
| two syllables + de | 漂亮的花 |
| one syllable, no de | 新书 |
| with an adverb, de comes back | 非常新的书 |
| many: no de | 很多人 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
An adjective before a noun takes 的 when it has an adverb in front of it.
她是一个很认真的学生。She is a very conscientious student.
Most two-syllable adjectives take 的 as well.
我们住在一个安静的小区。We live on a quiet housing estate.
A bare one-syllable adjective usually joins the noun directly.
我想买一个新手机。I want to buy a new phone.
很多 goes before a noun without 的.
公园里有很多人。There are a lot of people in the park.
A closer look
Why hǎo rén has no de
A one-syllable adjective joined straight to a noun names a kind of thing, the way English “blackbird” or “greenhouse” does. 好人 is a good person as a type, 新书 new books as a category, and many such pairs have become words of their own: 大人, an adult, 小说, a novel.
的 turns the adjective back into a description of this particular thing, and so it is used to pick one out from others: 我要新的那本, I want the new one. Colour words show the same split: a bare colour can name a kind — 红茶, black tea, 白酒, a clear grain spirit — while 红色的 or 红的 describes the colour of this particular thing.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the adjective is 多, many, or 少, few
neither can stand alone before a noun. “Many” is 很多 + noun, without 的; “few” is normally said as a predicate, after the noun.
今天路上车很少。There are very few cars on the road today.
These two behave more like quantities than like descriptions, so they follow their own rules.
How to spot it
- 的
- 很…的
- 非常…的
Example sentences
这是一部很有意思的电影。This is a very interesting film.
他是一个好人。He is a good person.
我想找一个便宜的房间。I'm looking for a cheap room.
她穿了一条非常漂亮的裙子。She wore a very beautiful skirt.
桌子上有一杯热咖啡。There's a cup of hot coffee on the table.
这是一个特别重要的问题。This is an especially important question.
8 more example sentences
我有一个很大的问题。I have a very big problem.
他住在一个小城市。He lives in a small city.
我喜欢安静的地方。I like quiet places.
这是一本很难的书。This is a very difficult book.
他给了我一个非常好的建议。He gave me a very good piece of advice.
我们需要一张大桌子。We need a big table.
那是一段很长的路。That is a long way to go.
她是一位很有名的作家。She is a very famous writer.
Worth knowing (1)
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Doubled adjectives always take de
An adjective said twice is vivid and a little affectionate, and before a noun it always takes 的: 长长的头发, long, long hair, 高高的个子, a tall build. The doubling already works like 很, and so it brings 的 with it.
她有一头长长的头发。She has long, flowing hair.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
好人 is fine, so adding 很 in front looks harmless. But once the adjective has an adverb it is a description in its own right, no longer part of a near-word, and a description before a noun needs 的.
Add an adverb, add de: hǎo rén, but hěn hǎo de rén.
Your turn
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