的, 得, 地 — three particles, one sound
All three are pronounced de. 的 comes before a noun (我的书). 得 comes after a verb and says how well it was done (说得很快). 地 comes before a verb and turns a description into an adverb (慢慢地走).
Structure
-
Describer + 的 + Noun
我的书, 红色的车 — describes a thing.
-
Verb + 得 + Comment
说得很快 — how the action came out.
-
Description + 地 + Verb
慢慢地走 — how the action is performed.
How it works
The test is one line long: look at what sits on either side. Noun after it → 的. Verb before it → 得. Verb after it → 地.
的 attaches any describer to a noun: possession (我的书), adjectives (红色的车), whole clauses (我买的书). Covered in full on 的 for possession.
得 introduces a degree complement — a comment on how the action turned out. 她说得很快。 (She speaks fast.) 你做得很好。 (You did well.) The comment is an adjective phrase and keeps its 很. Negate the comment, not the verb: 他跑得不快。
If the verb has an object, the verb must be repeated before 得: 他说中文说得很好。 — literally "he speaks Chinese speaks very well". Dropping the first verb gives the very common error 他说中文得很好.
地 turns a description into a manner adverb before the verb: 慢慢地走 (walk slowly), 高兴地说 (say happily). In casual writing it is often omitted after reduplicated adjectives — 慢慢走 is perfectly normal.
Examples
Quick drill — 5 questions
Five fill-in-the-gap questions built from the example sentences above. No sign-up, no score kept — just a check that the pattern has actually landed.
Choose the word that belongs in the gap:
Common mistakes
| ✗ Wrong | ✓ Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 他说中文得很好。 | 他说中文说得很好。 | With an object present, the verb must be repeated before 得. |
| 他不跑得快。 | 他跑得不快。 | Negation lands on the comment after 得, not on the verb. |
| 他说的很快。 | 他说得很快。 | A comment on how an action was performed always takes 得. |
的 vs 得 vs 地 — frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 的, 得 and 地?
的 goes before a noun and attaches a describer to it (我的书). 得 goes after a verb and comments on how the action was done (说得很快). 地 goes before a verb and turns a description into an adverb (慢慢地走). All three are pronounced de.
How do you use 得 with an object?
Repeat the verb: 他说中文说得很好 (he speaks Chinese very well). The pattern is Verb + Object + Verb + 得 + comment. Leaving out the second verb — 他说中文得很好 — is one of the most common intermediate errors.
How do you negate a 得 sentence?
Negate the comment, not the verb: 他跑得不快 (he doesn't run fast). 他不跑得快 is wrong, because 不 belongs with the adjective that follows 得.
Can 地 be left out?
Often, yes — especially after reduplicated adjectives. 慢慢走 and 慢慢地走 both mean "walk slowly", and the shorter form is very common in speech. In formal writing 地 is usually kept.
Next, learn
Put it to work
Drill the vocabulary for this level on the HSK 3 word list, rebuild scrambled sentences in the Sentence Builder, read graded stories that use this pattern in the story library, or follow a step-by-step route through the whole site in Guided Learning Paths.