Possessive pronouns show who owns something and align with the owner in person and sometimes in number. This guide covers the main possessive pronouns and related structures in Mandarin Chinese.
Key Vocabulary
Here are the basic possessive pronouns for each person and number. Mandarin uses de (的) to link the owner to the thing owned.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐉 | lóng | dragon | |
| 🏯 | gōng | palace | |
| 👳 | shì | lord | |
| 👸 | gōngzhǔ | princess | |
| 🐴 | mǎ | horse | |
| 🏹 | gōng | bow | |
| 🗡️ | dāo | sword | |
| ⛩️ | yuán | garden | |
| 🔥 | huǒ | fire | |
| 🌕 | yuè | moon |
This is my book.
Usage
To show possession, place the possessive pronoun or noun phrase before the thing owned, followed by de (的) if needed. You can omit de in some fixed expressions but it is normally required.
Possessive Pronouns
Use a possessive pronoun like wǒ de (我的) to clearly mark ownership. This form works for both tangible things and abstract possessions.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐲 我的龙很强。 | Wǒ de lóng hěn qiáng. | My dragon is very strong. | |
| 🐉 你的龙飞得高。 | Nǐ de lóng fēi de gāo. | Your dragon flies high. | |
| 🐉 他 的龙吐火。 | Tā de lóng tǔ huǒ. | His dragon breathes fire. | |
| 🐉 她 的龙很美。 | Tā de lóng hěn měi. | Her dragon is very beautiful. | |
| 🐉 我们 的龙结伴飞。 | Wǒmen de lóng jiébàn fēi. | Our dragons fly together. | |
| 🐉 你们 的龙围成圈。 | Nǐmen de lóng wéichéng quān. | Your dragons form a circle. | |
| 🐉 他们 的龙守护城。 | Tāmen de lóng shǒuhù chéng. | Their dragons guard the city. |
Noun + 的
Any noun or noun phrase can act as the owner if it is followed by de (的) and then the thing possessed. This lets you specify groups, titles, or names as owners.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 👳 主人 的 龙很威风。 | Zhǔrén de lóng hěn wēifēng. | The lord’s dragon is majestic. | |
| 👸 公主 的 龙喜欢月光。 | Gōngzhǔ de lóng xǐhuan yuèguāng. | The princess’s dragon likes the moonlight. | |
| 🐴 马 的 背上坐着骑士。 | Mǎ de bèishang zuòzhe qíshì. | There is a knight sitting on the horse’s back. | |
| 🏯 城堡 的 墙画着龙纹。 | Chéngbǎo de qiáng huà zhe lóng wén. | The castle’s walls are painted with dragon patterns. | |
| 🌳 树 的 阴影盖住了龙。 | Shù de yīnyǐng gàizhù le lóng. | The tree’s shadow covered the dragon. |
Omitting 的
In very brief or set phrases, de (的) can be dropped when the possessor is a pronoun and the owned item is a kinship term or closely linked word. Otherwise, keep de for clarity.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 👳 主人龙飞过天空。 | Zhǔrén lóng fēi guò tiānkōng. | The lord’s dragon flew across the sky. | |
| 👸 公主龙在云中盘旋。 | Gōngzhǔ lóng zài yún zhōng pánxuán. | The princess’s dragon circled among the clouds. | |
| 🐴 战马嘶鸣着冲锋。 | Zhàn mǎ sīmíng zhe chōngfēng. | The war horse neighed as it charged. | |
| 🏯 龙城灯火辉煌。 | Lóng chéng dēnghuǒ huīhuáng. | The Dragon City was brightly lit. | |
| ⛩️ 龙门洞开迎客。 | Lóng mén dòng kāi yíng kè. | The Dragon Gate opened to welcome guests. |
Summary
Possession is shown by placing the owner first, usually followed by de (的), then the thing owned. Use possessive pronouns like wǒ de (我的) for clarity and noun phrases plus de to specify more complex owners.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025