的 (de) after adjectives: when to use it, when to drop it
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Sometimes in Chinese you see the particle 的 (de) after adjectives, but sometimes you don’t. What is the rule for whether or not you should put 的 after an adjective?
As usual with Chinese grammar, there isn’t a 100% concrete rule for this, but there is a strong guideline. In general, you need to put 的 after a two-syllable adjective, and should not put it after a single-syllable adjective.
As always, remember that there can be exceptions to these “rules”. They are just useful guidelines that help you get a better sense of the language. Always include lots of listening and reading in your learning diet to get a real feel for Chinese.
Don’t put 的 after single-syllable adjectives
In general, you should not put 的 after a single-syllable adjective. Adjectives with just one syllable can usually be placed directly before a noun to modify it. Some examples:
辣菜
美女
帅哥
坏人
好人
The words above are actually more like compound nouns that function as individual units. There’s no need to separate them with 的. You might use these words in sentences like these, for example:
As you can see, these words are really just compound nouns consisting of an adjective that modifies a noun. You don’t need to put 的 after these single-syllable adjectives.
Do put 的 after multi-syllable adjectives
If you add in extras that make the adjective longer, then you have to use 的. For example, if you put 很 (hěn) in front of the adjective to intensify it, it’s now two syllables and you should put 的 after it.
Some examples:
很坏的人
十分大的房子
非常贵的车
The adjective in this structure can be as long as you like, or even be replaced with a more complicated phrase, and still be used to modify the noun. All you have to do is put 的 in between.
As well as adjectives that have been modified and become multi-syllable, there are also adjectives that are multi-syllable on their own. These should also have 的 after them when used to modify nouns. Some examples:
好看的人
红色的衣服
舒服的椅子
友好的老师
The only rule you have to remember is that if the adjective is one syllable, you usually don’t put 的 after it. Otherwise, no matter what the adjective is, you should usually use 的.
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Vocabulary list 词单
- Vocabulary list: 的 (de) after adjectives: when to use it, when to drop it 语法：的 15 words and 3 example sentences
Exercises 练习
- Exercises: 的 (de) after adjectives: when to use it, when to drop it 语法：的 练习 4 hanzi writing exercises over 19 characters, and 1 grammar exercise over 3 items
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