Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns show who something belongs to. Mandarin marks possession with de 的 and sometimes uses pronouns or noun phrases for clarity.
Possessive Pronouns
Possive pronouns in Mandarin attach de 的 to the possessive word, and they agree with the owner, not the thing.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 我的 | wǒ de | my / mine | 你的 | nǐ de | your / yours |
| 他 的 | tā de | his | 她 的 | tā de | her / hers |
| 它 的 | tā de | its | 我们 的 | wǒmen de | our / ours |
| 你们 的 | nǐmen de | your (pl.) | 他们 的 | tāmen de | their |
| Hanzi Phrase | Pinyin Phrase | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 🏠 这是我的房子。 | Zhè shì wǒ de fángzi. | This is my house. |
| 🛋️ 这是你的沙发。 | Zhè shì nǐ de shāfā. | This is your sofa. |
| 🛏️ 这是他的床。 | Zhè shì tā de chuáng. | This is his bed. |
| 🪑 这是她的椅子。 | Zhè shì tā de yǐzi. | This is her chair. |
| 🧸 这是我们的玩具。 | Zhè shì wǒmen de wánjù. | These are our toys. |
| 📚 这是你们的书。 | Zhè shì nǐmen de shū. | These are your books. |
| 🗝️ 这是他们的钥匙。 | Zhè shì tāmen de yàoshi. | These are their keys. |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Using Pronouns vs. Nouns
Use a pronoun + de 的 to show possession when the owner is clear. Use a noun + de 的 to specify the owner or for emphasis.
| Hanzi Phrase | Pinyin Phrase | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 🏠 那是李先生的房子。 | Nà shì Lǐ xiānsheng de fángzi. | That is Mr. Li’s house. |
| 🛒 我看见了他的购物袋。 | Wǒ kànjiànle tā de gòuwùdài. | I saw his shopping bag. |
| 🧴 她的瓶子放在桌子上。 | Tā de píngzi fàng zài zhuōzi shàng. | Her bottle is on the table. |
| 🧑🌾 他们的园子很漂亮。 | Tāmen de yuánzi hěn piàoliang. | Their garden is very pretty. |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Short Forms
In spoken Mandarin, sometimes possessive pronouns drop de 的 when the possessed item is a part of the owner, like family members or belongings, but dropping de 的 changes the meaning slightly.
| Hanzi Phrase | Pinyin Phrase | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 🧴 瓶子是我的。 | Píngzi shì wǒ de. | The bottle is mine. |
| 🗝️ 钥匙是她的。 | Yàoshi shì tā de. | The key is hers. |
| 🧥 外套是他的。 | Wàitào shì tā de. | The coat is his. |
| 📦 盒子是他们的。 | Hézi shì tāmen de. | The box is theirs. |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Double Possession
Mandarin can double possession for emphasis by adding a pronoun before a noun phrase that already has de 的, as in wǒ de péngyǒu de shū 我的朋友的书 "my friend's book."
| Hanzi Phrase | Pinyin Phrase | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 🏡 我朋友的房子很大。 | Wǒ péngyǒu de fángzi hěn dà. | My friend’s house is very big. |
| 🛋️ 朋友的沙发很舒服。 | Péngyǒu de shāfā hěn shūfu. | The friend’s sofa is very comfortable. |
| 🐶 朋友的狗在花园里玩。 | Péngyǒu de gǒu zài huāyuán lǐ wán. | The friend’s dog is playing in the garden. |
| 🧺 我帮朋友拿了他们的篮子。 | Wǒ bāng péngyǒu nále tāmen de lánzi. | I helped my friend carry their basket. |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Context Matters
Whether to use a pronoun, noun, and de 的 depends on context and what you want to emphasize. When in doubt, include de 的 for clarity.
| Hanzi Phrase | Pinyin Phrase | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 🧴 这是我的瓶子。 | Zhè shì wǒ de píngzi. | This is my bottle. |
| 🧴 那个瓶子不是我的。 | Nàge píngzi bù shì wǒ de. | That bottle isn’t mine. |
| 🧴 我用的是自己的瓶子。 | Wǒ yòng de shì zìjǐ de píngzi. | I am using my own bottle. |
| 🧴 请不要用别人的瓶子。 | Qǐng bùyào yòng biérén de píngzi. | Please don’t use someone else’s bottle. |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Summary
Possessive pronouns attach de 的 to show ownership. Use pronouns for clear owners and nouns for specificity. Dropping de 的 is colloquial and context-dependent.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025