Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

的 (radical 106 白+3, 8 strokes, cangjie input 竹日心戈 (HAPI), four-corner 2762₀, composition ⿰白勺)

References

• KangXi: page 786, character 7
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 22692
• Dae Jaweon: page 1201, character 9
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 4, page 2644, character 16
• Unihan data for U+7684

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 的
Large seal script

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *pleːwɢ) : semantic 白 ‎(“white”) + phonetic 勺 ‎(OC *pljewɢ, *bljewɢ).

The original form was 旳 with the meaning of “bright”, hence the initial 日 semantic. See Etymology 1 below.

Etymology 1

“Bright”. Compare 灼 and 旳.

The sense of “mark in a target” may be secondary. Alternatively, it may be an independent root on its own. Compare Tibetan རྟགས ‎(rtags, “mark, sign”).

Pronunciation

Definitions

的

1. bright; clear; distinct
2. white; white-coloured
3. white forehead of horses; white-foreheaded horse
4. centre of target for archery
5. aim; standard; criterion
6. target; objective

   目的  ―  mùdì  ―  purpose, aim, goal

7. (historical) red dot worn on the centre of the forehead by women; bindu
8. true, real
9. really; truly; certainly

   的確 / 的确  ―  díquè  ―  truly

Etymology 2

This glyph was borrowed later to represent de, the possessive marker in Northern Chinese, which resulted from the lenition of the literary possessive marker 之 (OC *tjɯ). Superseded the earlier 底 for this meaning. 之 is still preserved in many phrases, and in written languages to some extent, especially in Taiwan.

Cognate with the particle sense of 地 and 得, which are all homophonic but now have their respective specialised usages.

Compare the stylish Zhuyin variant of 的 in Taiwan: ㄉ.

In contemporary times it is also used to represent unrelated equivalent particles in other Chinese varieties. Examples include Min Nan ê (个, 亓, 兮 or ㄟ, derived from 個), Min Dong gì (其), Wu geq (個) and Cantonese ge3 (嘅 < 個).

Languages in the East Asian Sprachbund share a common possessive structure; compare Japanese の ‎(no), Korean 의 (ui), Tibetan གི ‎(gi).

Pronunciation

Definitions

的 (Mandarin)

1. Used after an attribute. Indicates that the previous word has possession of the next one. In English it functions like ’s (or like the word “of” but with the position of possessor and possessee switched). ’s, of

   我的書 / 我的书  ―  wǒ de shū  ―  my book

   • 這本書是老王的。 / 这本书是老王的。  ―  Zhè běn shū shì lǎo Wáng de.  ―  This book belongs to Wang / This is Wang's book
   • 今天開會是你的主席。 [MSC, trad.]
     今天开会是你的主席。 [MSC, simp.]

     Jīntiān kāihuì shì nǐ de zhǔxí. [Pinyin]

     You will chair today's meeting.

   • 別開他的玩笑了。 / 别开他的玩笑了。  ―  Bié kāi tā de wánxiào le.  ―  Don't make fun of him.
   • 蛇的毒  ―  shé de dú  ―  the snake’s poison
   • 眾人的國家 / 众人的国家  ―  zhòngrén de guójiā  ―  the People’s Country
2. Used to link a noun, an adjective or a phrase to a noun to describe it. that, who

   紅色的氣球 / 红色的气球  ―  hóngsè de qìqiú  ―  a red balloon

   • 鐵的紀律 / 铁的纪律  ―  tiě de jìlǜ  ―  iron discipline
   • 去北京的火车  ―  qù běijīng de huǒchē  ―  The train that goes to Beijing
   • 昨天來的人 / 昨天来的人  ―  zuótiān lái de rén  ―  The people who came yesterday
3. Used to form a noun phrase or nominal expression.
   • 的話 / 的话  ―  dehuà  ―  particle put at the end of a conditional clause
   • 我愛吃辣的。 / 我爱吃辣的。  ―  Wǒ ài chī là de.  ―  I like hot (or peppery) food.
   • 菊花開了，有紅的，有黃的。 [MSC, trad.]
     菊花开了，有红的，有黄的。 [MSC, simp.]

     Júhuā kāi le, yǒu hóng de, yǒu huáng de. [Pinyin]

     The chrysanthemums are in bloom; some are red and some yellow.

   • 他說他的，我幹我的。 [MSC, trad.]
     他说他的，我干我的。 [MSC, simp.]

     Tā shuō tā de, wǒ gàn wǒ de. [Pinyin]

     Let him say what he likes; I'll just get on with my work.

   • 火車上看書的看書，聊天的聊天。 [MSC, trad.]
     火车上看书的看书，聊天的聊天。 [MSC, simp.]

     Huǒchē shàng kàn shū de kàn shū, liáotiān de liáotiān. [Pinyin]

     On the train some people were reading and some were chatting.

   • 我要兩個三毛的。 / 我要两个三毛的。  ―  Wǒ yào liǎng ge sān máo de.  ―  I want two of the three-cent ones. (i.e. two items worth three cents each)
   • 無緣無故的你，著什麼急？ [MSC, trad.]
     无缘无故的你，著什么急？ [MSC, simp.]

     Wúyuánwúgù de nǐ, zhù shénme jí? [Pinyin]

     Why do you get excited for no reason at all?

   • 這裡用不著你，你只管睡你的去。 [MSC, trad.]
     这里用不着你，你只管睡你的去。 [MSC, simp.]

     Zhèlǐ yòng bù zháo nǐ, nǐ zhǐguǎn shuì nǐ de qù. [Pinyin]

     We don't need you here. Just go to bed.

4. Used after a verb or between a verb and its object to stress an element of the sentence. It can be used with 是 (shì) to surround the stressed element.
   • 誰買的？ / 谁买的？  ―  Shuí mǎi de?  ―  Who bought it?
   • 你嗓子怎麼啞了？——唱的。 [MSC, trad.]
     你嗓子怎么哑了？——唱的。 [MSC, simp.]

     Nǐ sǎngzǐ zěnme yǎ le? - - chàng de. [Pinyin]

     Why are you so hoarse? —From singing.

   • 是我打的稿子，他上的色。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

     Shì wǒ dǎ de gǎozi, tā shàng de sè. [Pinyin]

     I made the sketch; he filled in the colours. (It was me who drew the sketch)

   • 他是昨天進的城。 / 他是昨天进的城。  ―  Tā shì zuótiān jìn de chéng.  ―  He went to town yesterday. (It's yesterday that he went to town)
   • 我是在車站打的票。 [MSC, trad.]
     我是在车站打的票。 [MSC, simp.]

     Wǒ shì zài chēzhàn dǎ de piào. [Pinyin]

     I bought the ticket at the station. (It's in the station that I bought the ticket)

5. Used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis.
   • 你們這兩天真夠辛苦的。 [MSC, trad.]
     你们这两天真够辛苦的。 [MSC, simp.]

     Nǐmen zhè liǎng tiān zhēn gòu xīnkǔ de. [Pinyin]

     You've really been working hard the past few days.

6. Used to express the idea of “of that kind”.
   • 針頭線腦的 / 针头线脑的  ―  zhēntóuxiànnǎo de  ―  things such as needles and threads
7. (informal) Used to express multiplication or addition. and, by
   • 這間屋子是五米的三米，合十五平方米。 [MSC, trad.]
     这间屋子是五米的三米，合十五平方米。 [MSC, simp.]

     Zhè jiān wūzǐ shì wǔ mǐ de sān mǐ, hé shíwǔ píngfāngmǐ. [Pinyin]

     This room is five metres by three, or fifteen square metres.

   • 兩個的三個，一共五個。 [MSC, trad.]
     两个的三个，一共五个。 [MSC, simp.]

     Liǎng ge de sān ge, yīgòng wǔ ge. [Pinyin]

     Two pieces and three pieces—there're five in all.

Synonyms

Usage notes

Descendants

• Khmer: ទី ‎(tii)

Etymology 3

Phonetic syllable used to transcribe certain syllables in foreign loanwords.

Pronunciation

Definitions

的

1. (used only as a phonetic element)
   • 的士  ―  díshì  ―  taxi
   • 的黎波里  ―  Dílíbōlǐ  ―  Tripoli
   • 打的  ―  dǎdī  ―  to take/hire a taxi

Compounds

Japanese

Kanji

(grade 4 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• Goon: ちゃく (chaku)
• Kan’on: てき (teki)
• Kun: まと (mato), いくは (ikuha) (non-Jōyō reading), ゆくは (yukuha) (non-Jōyō reading)

Etymology 1

Repurposed from the target meaning, probably from Ming- and Qing-era Mandarin use of this character as a possessive or adjectivizing particle,^[1] or even earlier in the Song and Yuan eras.^[2][3] Probably also influenced in the Meiji period by the English adjective ending -tic (as in spastic, plastic, or characteristic), ultimately deriving from Ancient Greek -τικός ‎(-tikós), used to form adjectives from verbs.^[1][2][4][3]

Pronunciation

• On'yomi: Kan'on
• IPA^(key): [te̞kʲi]

Suffix

的 ‎(hiragana てき, romaji -teki)

1. -ive, -like, -ish, -ic, -ical, -y, kind of, sort of

   Used to form 形容動詞 ‎(keiyō dōshi, “na adjectives”) from nouns. The resulting term has a 平板型 ‎(heiban-gata, “flat type”) or type 0 pitch accent pattern.

   中国 (ちゅうごく)の雰囲気 (ふんいき)、中国 (ちゅうごく)的 (てき)な雰囲気 (ふんいき)

   Chūgoku no fun'iki, Chūgoku-teki na fun'iki

   China's atmosphere, a Chinese kind of atmosphere

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 的 ‎(tek, literally “mark in a target”, also meaning “bright”).

Pronunciation

• On'yomi: Kan'on
• (Tokyo) てき [tèkí] (Heiban - [0])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [te̞kʲi]

Affix

的 ‎(hiragana てき, romaji teki)

1. target
2. bright, clear

Derived terms

Noun

的 ‎(hiragana てき, romaji teki)

1. Alternative spelling of 敵: (rare) enemy, opponent

Alternative forms

• 敵

Pronoun

的 ‎(hiragana てき, romaji teki)

1. (archaic, chiefly Kansai, somewhat derogatory) he, she, it, that one
2. (archaic, chiefly Kansai, somewhat derogatory) you

Alternative forms

• 敵

Synonyms

• (derogatory for “he, she, it”): あいつ ‎(aitsu)
• (derogatory for “you”): おまえ ‎(omae)

Etymology 3

From Old Japanese. Possibly originally a compound of 目 ‎(ma, “eye”) +‎ 所 ‎(to, “place”). Appears to be cognate with homophone 円 ‎(mato, “round”, adjective, obsolete in modern Japanese).^[1]

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• (Tokyo) まと [màtó] (Heiban - [0])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ma̠to̞]

Noun

的 ‎(hiragana まと, romaji mato)

1. a target, a mark, a bullseye
2. an objective, an object (of doing something)

Synonyms

• (objective): 目的 (もくてき) ‎(mokuteki)

Etymology 4

From Old Japanese.

• May be derived from rare archaic verb いくう ‎(ikuu, “to shoot [an arrow] at something”, archaic spelling いくふ).^[1]

The ha element would presumably derive from the verb ending ふ ‎(fu), which has a 未然形 ‎(mizenkei, “incomplete form”) of ha. However, this is unlikely, as verb forms ending in -fu underwent the regular f- and h- > w- shift, which would result in a reading of *ikuwa rather than the correct ikuha.

• The above phonetic discrepancy suggests that ikuha may instead be a compound of iku + ha. The iku element probably derives from root component いく ‎(iku) meaning “shooting [arrows]”, as found in いくう ‎(ikuu) and also in 戦 ‎(ikusa, “a battle”, original meaning “the shooting of arrows”).^[1] The iku element might be related to verb 射る ‎(iru, “to shoot an arrow”), or obsolete verb 生く ‎(iku, “to live; to make something live, to make something go”), likely cognate with 行く ‎(iku, “to go”).

The ha element is uncertain. It might be 端 ‎(ha, “the edge or end of something”), from the sense “the end [of the arrow's flight]”.

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• IPA^(key): [ikɯᵝha̠]

Noun

的 ‎(hiragana いくは, romaji ikuha)

1. (archery, rare) an archery target

Derived terms

Etymology 5

From Old Japanese. Alteration of ikuha above. Compare the iku <> yuku alteration in the verb 行く ‎(iku, yuku, “to go”).

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• IPA^(key): [jɯᵝkɯᵝha̠]

Noun

的 ‎(hiragana ゆくは, romaji yukuha)

1. (archery, rare) an archery target

References

1. 1 2 3 4 5 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 1 2 3 4 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
3. 1 2 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13143-0
4. ↑ 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, ISBN 4-09-501211-0

Korean

Hanja

的 • ‎(jeok) (hangeul 적, McCune-Reischauer chŏk, Yale cek)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

的 (đích, đét, đít, điếc, đếch)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.