Thursday, June 16, 2011

Expressing possesion in Chinese

我的大学 (wǒ de dàxué) - my university.


Using the Chinese personal pronouns possessively is easy! Just append the determiner particle 的 (de) to the pronoun! The thing that is being determined will appear after this particle, and the thing that determines it (the possessive pronoun) will appear in front of it:

    * 我的大学 (wǒ de dàxué) - my university
    * 你的大学 (nǐ de dàxué) - your university
    * 他的大学 (tā de dàxué) - his university

    * 我们的大学 (wǒmen de dàxué) - our university
    * 你们的大学 (nǐmen de dàxué) - your university
    * 他们的大学 (tāmen de dàxué) - their university

The determiner particle is omitted for certain cases which are characterised by particularly close relationships, including close relations, and a person's home.
    * 我妈妈 (wǒ māma) - my mother
    * 我家 (nǐ jiā) - your home/family
    * 我那儿 (wǒ nàr) - my place

Independent constructions (possessive pronouns)

Such a construction can be transformed into possessive pronouns like "mine", "yours", "ours" in english:

    * 这所大学是我的 (zhè suǒ dàxué shì wǒ de) - This university is mine
    * 这所大学是他们的 (zhè suǒ dàxué shì tāmen de) - This university is theirs

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