2 · The particle de and modification
De without a noun: mine, the red one, the seller
a de phrase standing for a noun
When the noun is clear or general, it can be left out, and the phrase with de stands for it.
English says “mine”, “the red one”, “the big ones”. Chinese does the same by keeping the description with its 的 and dropping the noun everybody already has in mind: 这本书是我的, this book is mine, 我要红的, I want the red one, 大的太贵了, the big ones are too expensive. There is no word for “one”: 的 carries it.
With a verb phrase in front, 的 names a person by what they do: 卖菜的, the person who sells vegetables, 开车的, the driver, 送外卖的, the delivery person. It works for things in the same way: 吃的 is something to eat, 喝的 something to drink, 穿的 something to wear.
Such a phrase can do anything a noun does: be the subject, the object, or follow 是. It is how people choose in shops and restaurants — 你要哪个？ — 我要便宜的。 — and how they ask and answer about owners: 谁的？ — 我的。
English needs “one” after an adjective, and learners try to fill that slot with a measure word after 的. A measure word can come along, but it stands before the description, as always: 一个红的, a red one, 那个大的, that big one. Nothing follows 的 when the noun is gone.
The form
| mine | 是我的 |
| the red one | 红的 |
| a red one | 一个红的 |
| the person who sells vegetables | 卖菜的 |
| something to eat | 吃的 |
| the one I bought | 我买的 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
When the noun is already known, it can be dropped after 的.
这件太小了，我要大的。This one is too small — I want the big one.
Possession works the same way: 我的 is “mine”.
那杯咖啡是你的。That coffee is yours.
Verb + object + 的 names the person who does it.
卖水果的今天没来。The fruit seller didn't come today.
吃的, 喝的, 穿的 and 用的 mean things to eat, drink, wear and use.
冰箱里有吃的吗？Is there anything to eat in the fridge?
A closer look
A word of caution about the seller
Naming people by their job with 的 — 卖菜的, 开车的 — is everyday and neutral when you talk about them. Said to someone's face, or about people in a more respected job, it can sound casual or even dismissive. To address a driver or a tradesperson, 师傅 is the friendly, respectful word.
The same 的 appears at the end of the 是 … 的 pattern, 他是昨天来的, “it was yesterday that he came”. That pattern stresses when, where or how something happened, and it has a topic of its own.
How to spot it
- 我的
- 红的
- 卖…的
- 吃的
Example sentences
这两件衣服，我喜欢蓝的。Of these two tops, I like the blue one.
这不是我的，是我哥哥的。This isn't mine, it's my brother's.
送外卖的到了。The delivery person is here.
有热的也有冰的，你要哪种？There are hot ones and iced ones — which would you like?
我说的都是真的。Everything I said is true.
我们去超市买点儿吃的吧。Let's go to the supermarket and get something to eat.
8 more example sentences
你的手机是新的吗？Is your phone a new one?
便宜的都卖完了。The cheap ones are all sold out.
这些书是图书馆的。These books belong to the library.
开车的是我叔叔。The one driving is my uncle.
我不要甜的，我要咸的。I don't want a sweet one, I want a savoury one.
冬天去北方要多带点儿穿的。If you go north in winter, take extra clothes.
我昨天买的比这个好。The one I bought yesterday is better than this one.
刚才给你打电话的是谁？Who was it who phoned you just now?
Worth knowing (1)
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Made of: shì … de for material
A noun of material with 的 after 是 says what something is made of, or what kind it is: 是木头的, it's wooden, 是手工的, it's handmade. The missing noun is the thing itself — “a wooden one”.
这件毛衣是羊毛的。This jumper is made of wool.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English needs “one” after the colour, and the measure word looks like the Chinese “one”. But 的 already stands for the missing noun, and a measure word, if you want one, goes in front: 我要一个红的.
De can stand for a noun everybody already has in mind: mine, the red one, the one who sells.
Your turn
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