的 meaning and stroke order
Of; ~'s (possessive particle); (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun); (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis)
How to write 的, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 7
- 8
Meaning of 的
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- 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[pi2 ge2 de5] "one made of leather" or 跑堂兒的|跑堂儿的[pao3 tang2 r5 de5] "a waiter (literally, one who runs back and forth in a restaurant)" or 新的[xin1 de5] "new one")
- also pr. [di4] or [di5] in poetry and songs
- (bound form) a taxi; a cab (abbr. for 的士[di1 shi4])
- really and truly
- (bound form) bull's-eye; target
How 的 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 白 (white), shared by 21 characters on this site.
How to remember 的
的 is 白 (bái, white) next to 勺 (sháo, ladle). Picture a white dot in a ladle as the small mark you aim at, which links to its sense of target in 目的 (mùdì, goal), and that tiny mark is also the little word that ties nouns together.
As de, 的 is the most common character in Chinese. It marks possession or links a description to a noun, and it can also stand for the noun itself, as in 新的 (xīn de, a new one). Example: 这是我的书。(Zhè shì wǒ de shū.) This is my book.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 的, 得 and 地, which are all pronounced de in speech. Use 的 before nouns (我的朋友), 地 before verbs (慢慢地走), and 得 after verbs to show degree (跑得快).
Common words with 的
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 真的 | zhēn de | really; truly; indeed; real; true; genuine | HSK 1 |
| 别的 | biéde | else; other | HSK 1 |
| 有的 | yǒude | (there are) some (who are...); some (exist) | HSK 1 |
| 的话 | dehuà | if (coming after a conditional clause) | HSK 2 |
| 目的 | mùdì | purpose; aim; goal; target; objective | HSK 2 |
| 有的是 | yǒudeshì | have plenty of; there's no lack of | HSK 3 |
| 的确 | díquè | really; indeed | HSK 4 |
| 似的 | shìde | seems as if; rather like | HSK 4 |
| 说真的 | shuō zhēnde | to tell the truth; honestly | HSK 7-9 |
| 目的地 | mùdìdì | destination (location) | HSK 7-9 |
| 总的来说 | zǒngde lái shuō | generally speaking; to sum up | HSK 7-9 |
| 没说的 | méishuōde | (coll.) nothing to pick on; really good; (coll.) nothing to discuss; settled matter; no pr | HSK 7-9 |
| 真是的 | zhēnshide | Really! (interj. of annoyance or frustration) | HSK 7-9 |
| 有的放矢 | yǒudì-fàngshǐ | lit. to have a target in mind when shooting one's arrows (idiom); fig. to have a clear obj | HSK 7-9 |
的 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 的
How many strokes are in 的?
的 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 的 mean?
的 (de) means of; ~'s (possessive particle); (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun); (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis). A common word with it is 真的 (zhēn de), meaning "really; truly; indeed; real; true; genuine".
How do you pronounce 的?
的 is pronounced de, in the neutral tone (short and light).
What is the radical of 的?
The radical of 的 is 白, which carries the idea of "white". Dictionaries list 的 under this radical.
Is 的 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 的 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
When can I leave out 的?
With close relationships like family or home, 的 is usually dropped: 我妈妈 (wǒ māma), 我家 (wǒ jiā). It is also often dropped in fixed phrases like 中国人 (Zhōngguó rén). With ordinary objects, keep it: 我的手机.
Why is 的 sometimes read dí or dì?
In some words 的 keeps older readings. It is dí in 的确 (díquè, indeed) and dì in 目的 (mùdì, goal), where it means target. It is also dī in 的士 (dīshì, taxi).