地 de — particle turning a description into a manner adverb before a verb
particle turning a description into a manner adverb before a verb
Meanings
particle turning a description into a manner adverb before a verb
Sits between a description and the verb it colours: 高兴地说, to say something happily; 慢慢地走, to walk slowly. What comes before 地 tells you *how* the action is carried out, and 地 itself is unstressed and toneless.
particleThree particles share the sound de and a learner meets all three by HSK 3. 的 links a modifier to a *noun* (我的书, 好看的花); 地 links it to a *verb that follows* (认真地学习); 得 links a verb to the *complement that follows it* (说得很好). Modifier–的–noun, modifier–地–verb, verb–得–judgement.
Example sentences
- 他很努力地学习汉语。他很努力地學習漢語。Tā (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) nǔlì (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) xuéxí (second tone, rising) Hànyǔ. (fourth tone, falling)···
He studies Chinese very hard.
- 妈妈慢慢地走进了房间。媽媽慢慢地走進了房間。Māma (first tone, high and level) mànmàn (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) zǒujìnle (third tone, dipping) fángjiān. (second tone, rising)···
Mum walked slowly into the room.
Common mistakes
Not quite他高兴的回答了老师的问题。
Correct他高兴地回答了老师的问题。
What follows here is the verb 回答, not a noun, so the particle is 地. 的 would be right only if a noun came next — 高兴的孩子, the happy child.
Not quite他说地很快。
Correct他说得很快。
地 goes *before* the verb and 得 *after* it. Here 很快 judges how the speaking turned out, and a judgement that follows the verb is attached with 得.