Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives show who owns something and agree in form with the owner rather than the thing possessed. This guide goes over the key possessive adjectives in Mandarin Chinese and gives clear examples so you can use them naturally.

Key Possessive Adjectives

The main possessive adjectives attach to pronouns and sometimes to nouns to show ownership. The particle de 的 marks the possession and can be omitted in very short, familiar phrases.

Hanzi	Pinyin	English
我的	wǒ de	my / mine
你的	nǐ de	your
他的	tā de	his
她的	tā de	her
它的	tā de	its
我们的	wǒmen de	our
你们的	nǐmen de	your (pl)
他们的	tāmen de	their (m)
她们的	tāmen de	their (f)
它们的	tāmen de	their (neut)

Hanzi	Pinyin	English	Example Sentence	Example Pinyin	Example English
我的	wǒ de	my	👜 我的包在椅子上。	Wǒ de bāo zài yǐzi shàng.	My bag is on the chair.
你的	nǐ de	your	☕ 你的咖啡旁边有纸巾。	Nǐ de kāfēi pángbiān yǒu zhǐjīn.	Your coffee is next to the napkins.
他的	tā de	his	📗 他的书在书架上。	Tā de shū zài shūjià shàng.	His book is on the shelf.
她的	tā de	her	🧴 她的水瓶放在桌角。	Tā de shuǐpíng fàng zài zhuō jiǎo.	Her water bottle is on the corner of the table.
我们的	wǒmen de	our	🪑 我们的座位在窗边。	Wǒmen de zuòwèi zài chuāng biān.	Our seats are by the window.
你们的	nǐmen de	your (plural)	🥡 你们的外卖到了。	Nǐmen de wàimài dào le.	Your (pl.) takeout has arrived.
他们的	tāmen de	their	🔋 他们的手机都在充电。	Tāmen de shǒujī dōu zài chōngdiàn.	Their phones are all charging.

Using Possessive Adjectives with Nouns

Possessive adjectives normally come before the noun they modify, and de 的 links the owner to the thing possessed. You can think of de as a short "’s" that makes the relationship clear.

Hanzi	Pinyin	English	Example Sentence	Example Pinyin	Example English
我的杯子	wǒ de bēizi	my cup	🍵 我的杯子装满了茶。	Wǒ de bēizi zhuāng mǎn le chá.	My cup is full of tea.
你的菜单	nǐ de càidān	your menu	📃 你的菜单有特别推荐吗？	Nǐ de càidān yǒu tèbié tuījiàn ma?	Does your menu have any specials?
她的围巾	tā de wéijīn	her scarf	🧣 她的围巾挂在椅背上。	Tā de wéijīn guà zài yǐ bèi shàng.	Her scarf is hanging on the chair back.

Omitting 的 in Short Phrases

In very short or fixed phrases, especially when the possessor is a pronoun and the noun is common and concrete, de 的 can be omitted for a more natural, spoken feel. This usually happens when the phrase functions like a single unit.

Hanzi	Pinyin	English	Example Sentence	Example Pinyin	Example English
我朋友的桌子	wǒ péngyǒu de zhuōzi	my friend's table	🧑‍🤝‍🧑 我朋友的桌子靠窗。	Wǒ péngyǒu de zhuōzi kào chuāng.	My friend's table is by the window.
我朋友桌子	wǒ péngyǒu zhuōzi	friend's table	🪟 我朋友桌子旁有花瓶。	Wǒ péngyǒu zhuōzi páng yǒu huāpíng.	(Short) Friend's table has a vase nearby.
老师的杯子	lǎoshī de bēizi	teacher's cup	🍶 老师的杯子装了热水。	Lǎoshī de bēizi zhuāng le rèshuǐ.	The teacher's cup is filled with hot water.
老师杯子	lǎoshī bēizi	teacher cup	🧑‍🏫 老师杯子放在讲台上。	Lǎoshī bēizi fàng zài jiǎngtái shàng.	(Short) Teacher's cup is on the podium.

Using Possessive Adjectives with Measures and Classifiers

When the possessed item is quantified, the possessive adjective still comes before the noun, and de 的 is usually kept to clearly separate the owner from the measure word and classifier. This maintains clarity in longer expressions.

Hanzi	Pinyin	English	Example Sentence	Example Pinyin	Example English
我的一杯咖啡	wǒ de yì bēi kāfēi	my cup of coffee	☕ 我的一杯咖啡很浓。	Wǒ de yì bēi kāfēi hěn nóng.	My cup of coffee is very strong.
你两份沙拉	nǐ liǎng fèn shālā	your two salads	🥗 你两份沙拉准备好了吗？	Nǐ liǎng fèn shālā zhǔnbèi hǎo le ma?	Are your two salads ready?
他们的三碟小吃	tāmen de sān dié xiǎochī	their three plates of snacks	🍘 他们的三碟小吃摆在中间。	Tāmen de sān dié xiǎochī bǎi zài zhōngjiān.	Their three plates of snacks are in the middle.

Possessive Pronouns vs. Possessive Adjectives

Mandarin distinguishes between possessive adjectives, which modify a noun, and possessive pronouns, which stand in for the noun. Adding de 的 turns a pronoun into a possessive pronoun that can function independently.

Hanzi	Pinyin	English	Example Sentence	Example Pinyin	Example English
这是我的杯子。	Zhè shì wǒ de bēizi.	This is my cup.	🏷️ 这是我的杯子。	Zhè shì wǒ de bēizi.	This is my cup.
这是我的。	Zhè shì wǒ de.	This is mine.	✅ 这是我的。	Zhè shì wǒ de.	This is mine.
那是她的包。	Nà shì tā de bāo.	That is her bag.	👜 那是她的包。	Nà shì tā de bāo.	That is her bag.
那是她的。	Nà shì tā de.	That is hers.	✔️ 那是她的。	Nà shì tā de.	That is hers.

Summary

Possessive adjectives in Mandarin attach to pronouns and are followed by de 的 to mark possession. They come before the noun, de can sometimes be omitted in short familiar phrases, and they help clearly show ownership when used with classifiers and measures.

Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025