的, 得, 地: the three de

Three characters, one pronunciation, three jobs — possession, degree, and manner — told apart by what they attach to.

One sound, three signposts

All three are pronounced de (neutral tone), and all three glue two pieces of a sentence together. The difference is pure direction: 的 hangs a describer on a NOUN, 得 hangs a result or degree on a VERB, and 地 turns a describer into HOW a verb is done.

的 — before a noun

Whatever stands before 的 describes the noun after it: possession, quality, or a whole clause.

这是我的书。

zhè shì wǒ de shū.

This is my book.

他是一个很好的老师。

tā shì yí gè hěn hǎo de lǎoshī.

He is a very good teacher.

得 — after a verb

得 follows a verb and opens the report card: how well, how fast, to what degree the action goes.

他跑得很快。

tā pǎo de hěn kuài.

He runs fast.

你说得对。

nǐ shuō de duì.

You're right (you said it correctly).

地 — before a verb

地 marks the manner chosen before the action happens — the adverb marker, usually after a doubled adjective.

她慢慢地说。

tā mànmàn de shuō.

She spoke slowly.

他认真地听老师说话。

tā rènzhēn de tīng lǎoshī shuōhuà.

He listened to the teacher attentively.

Look up the words: 的, 得, 地 · All grammar guides

Patterns stick when you meet them in sentences you can read. The app drills each one at i+1, scheduled by FSRS.

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