Chinese has two different ways to shorten a 的 phrase: dropping the noun after 的 when it’s already obvious, or — for a handful of close relationships — skipping 的 itself entirely.
一 A Quick Refresher on 的
的 links a describing word to a noun — the describing word always comes first.
Verb / Adjective / Noun + 的 + Noun
Tiffany的狗N + 的 + N
Tiffany’s dog
可愛的狗可爱的狗Adj + 的 + N
Cute dog
我畫的狗我画的狗V + 的 + N
The dog I draw
我畫的狗很可愛我画的狗很可爱
The dog I draw is cute.
你做的飯很好吃你做的饭很好吃
The food you made is delicious.
二 Dropping the Noun After 的
When both speaker and listener already know what’s being talked about, the noun after 的 can be dropped entirely — 的 ends up working a lot like the English word “one.” This saves you from repeating the same noun over and over.
Describing Word + 的 (noun implied)
這是我的狗，不是你的这是我的狗，不是你的
This is my dog, not yours.
有兩杯咖啡，你要熱的還是冰的？有两杯咖啡，你要热的还是冰的？
There are two cups of coffee. Do you want it hot or cold?
大的很貴，我要小的大的很贵，我要小的
The large one is very expensive. I want the small one.
我的手機手机是蘋果的苹果的
My phone is an Apple one.
那本書是誰的？那本书是谁的？
Whose book is that?
你的狗是公的還是母的？你的狗是公的还是母的？
Is your dog male or female?
三 Dropping 的 Entirely for Close Relationships
There’s a separate shortcut that goes even further: for a small set of close, personal relationships — immediate family, home, school, and workplace — 的 itself is often skipped completely, not just the noun after it.
的 usually dropped
我學校学校
我媽媽妈妈
我爸爸
我公司
我家
的 always kept
我的書书
我的手機手机
我的狗
我的房子
我媽媽妈妈很漂亮漂亮
My mom is very pretty.
我學校学校在台北
My school is in Taipei.
我的狗很可愛可爱
My dog is very cute.
Keeping 的 for these five words isn’t wrong — 我的媽媽我的妈妈 and 我的學校我的学校 are both perfectly grammatical. Dropping it is just the shorter, more natural-sounding default when talking about your own close family, home, school, or workplace. Anything else — a dog, a book, a phone, a house — needs 的 to stay.
四 Common Mistakes
❌ 這是我的狗，不是你这是我的狗，不是你
✅ 這是我的狗，不是你的这是我的狗，不是你的
Dropping the noun after 的 is fine — dropping 的 itself here is not. This isn’t one of the close-relationship exceptions, so 的 has to stay.
❌ 我書书很有趣
✅ 我的書书很有趣
書书 is a thing, not one of the five close-relationship exceptions — 的 needs to stay.
❌ 我房子很漂亮漂亮
✅ 我的房子很漂亮漂亮
A house isn’t on the short list of exceptions (school, mom, dad, company, home) — treat it like any other object and keep 的.
五 Practice
Pick the more natural or correct version.
Question 1 of 10
“This is my cat, not yours.”
The noun 貓猫 can drop out the second time, but 的 has to stay behind.
“Whose pen is that?”
誰的谁的 keeps 的 even though “筆” isn’t repeated.
“My dad is very tall.” (the natural, everyday way)
爸爸 is one of the close-relationship words, so dropping 的 is the natural default.
“My phone is very expensive.”
A phone is an object, not a close relationship — 的 has to stay.
“My company is very big.” (the natural, everyday way)
公司 is one of the close-relationship exceptions, so dropping 的 sounds most natural.
“My camera broke.”
A camera is an object, not one of the five exceptions — 的 stays.
“The expensive one is too expensive — I want the cheap one.”
Both 貴的贵的 and 便宜的 need 的 attached — dropping it leaves them sounding incomplete.
“Whose umbrella is this?”
誰的谁的 keeps 的 even without repeating “傘伞.”
“My computer is an Asus one.”
華碩的华硕的 keeps 的 to mean “an Asus one,” not just the brand name by itself.
“My mom works at a bank.” (the natural, everyday way)
媽媽妈妈 is another close-relationship exception, so skipping 的 is the natural default.
