Grammar: Name attribute

_THIS IS A TESTING BETA VERSION OF THE SITE_

The simplest form of the name attribute are possessive pronouns: 我的 /wǒde/ MINE, 你的 /nǐde/ YOUR, 他的 /tāde/ HIS

EXAMPLES: POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

Their dishes are both good and cheap.

他们的菜又好吃又便宜。

Tāmen de cài yòu hàochī yòu piányi.

EXPENSIVE - CHEAP

Is this yours?

这是你的吗？

Zhè shì nǐ de ma?

He is my friend.

他是我的朋友。

<Tā shì wǒde péngyǒu.>

NAME ATTRIBUTES are also things like a BLACK horse, a BEAUTIFUL town, an EXPENSIVE car

Name attribute comes in front of the word that it describes and ends with 的 /de/: 很贵的茶 /hěn guì de chá/ AN EXPENSIVE TEA

Obvious and natural connections such as 中国茶 /Zhōngguó chá/ CHINESE TEA are connected without 的 /de/

EXAMPLES: BASIC ATTRIBUTES

I've bought a lot of nice things.

我买了很多漂亮的东西。

<Wǒ mǎi le hěn duō piàoliang de dōngxi.>

I often drink extra fine African coffee.

我常常喝非常好的非洲的咖啡。

Wǒ chángcháng hē fēicháng hǎo de fēizhōu de kāfēi.

Shanghai has an extra big airport.

上海有非常大的机场。

Shànghǎi yǒu fēicháng dà de jīchǎng.

UP AND DOWN WORDS 机 BIG - SMALL

The airport in Shanghai is extra big.

上海的机场非常大。

Shànghǎi de jīchǎng fēicháng dà.

UP AND DOWN WORDS 机

See the animation below. Even long attributes such as “people, WHO WANT TO GO TO CHINA” are in front of a described word and are connected with 的 /de/

First sentence is 他想去中国 /Tā xiǎng qù Zhōngguó/ HE WANTS TO GO TO CHINA.

Second sentence is 想去中国的人很多 /Xiǎng qù Zhōngguó de rén hěnduō/ PEOPLE, WHO WANT TO GO TO CHINA, ARE MANY = THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GO TO CHINA.