Function of "的"

February 3, 2007 at 05:33 AM

Hello

上下文的重要性 means "the importance of the context".

What role does "的" have? How can one call such connection?

Thanks.

February 3, 2007 at 05:51 AM

Hello

上下文的重要性 means "the importance of the context".

What role does "的" have? How can one call such connection?

Thanks.

yes，上下文的重要性 do means "the importance of the context".

"的"is a suffixe to form an adjutive.

So, the rule of “的”is "after any word you want to use as an adjutive"

February 3, 2007 at 06:39 AM

But which is the adjective? I think there are 2 nouns here.

Maybe the descriptive indicator "的"? Or postpositional phrase with "的"? Or complement?

Or maybe I still don't understand the concept "adjective" in Chinese?

I want to know which part of speech?

I think:

上下文 is a noun (substantive)

重要性 is also a noun ...(?)

February 3, 2007 at 08:06 AM

What role does "的" have? How can one call such connection?

I do not know the answer. But what role does the "of" have in "the importance of the context" and how do you call such connection?

February 3, 2007 at 08:07 AM

You may call "的" as used here a linking particle. Its function is to link a modifier to a (head) noun (phrase).

PS: The connection/ relationship is that of modification, between the modifying and the modified.

February 3, 2007 at 10:03 AM

I apologize to make you confusing.

Why I said that "的"is a suffix to form an adjetive is I try to use an English gramma to answer you.

In chinese, almost every can be used as an adjietive.such as"一个跑步的人"（a running man）or "我的妈妈"（my mother）or"中文的书"(chinese book)

The relative beteen these role is "You try to discribe something"you may need an adjetive or gerund or pronoun or another something(其他的一些东西).

Let us go to Latin, it have a lot of suffix to form an adjetive.Such as -able(能够做什么的),-ful(充满什么的)."的"in this case can replace all the suffix in Latin or in English which be used to form a word is used to discribe a noun.

So"上下文"is a noun.However, "上下文的"is a adjetive.

One more example，"Andy的书"in English is"Andy's book"

In this case, "'s" in English has the same role as"的"

Also,in Latin, it has the the same way as Chinese.

For Example:"different and difference"

In chinese is "不同的 and 不同"

Finally, one thing you ought to know is "There is no any word you can use in Chinese,any word you have to make by youself.Chinese just give you some charactor and word making rule(制造词的方法)."

February 3, 2007 at 11:21 AM

In chinese, almost every can be used as an adjietive.such as"一个跑步的人"（a running man）or "我的妈妈"（my mother）or"中文的书"(chinese book)

No need to use the word "adjective" here. Many things besides "adjectives" can be used to modify a noun.

Skylee, "of" is similar to "的" here, and is therefore a linking particle. A sentence can be long or short but usually comprises very few elements. "Of" is a particle (=small word) for linking together words belonging to the same element:

Chinese: modifying +的+ modified (= Noun Phrase)

English: modified + of + modifying (= Noun Phrase)

February 3, 2007 at 12:28 PM

My active language is German. The difference between Chinese and German is "BIG"

BTW I have Chinese grammarbooks by Yip (English), Li Dejin (Chinese), Kneussel (German) and Li (USA) etc.

I know that Chinese does not have declination and conjugation, therefor it has relative many strict word-orders (sentence patterns) and function words.

And I try to understand the example and the rule.

Thanks to HashiriKata & myuigone.

February 4, 2007 at 12:02 AM

上下文 is a noun (substantive)
重要性 is also a nou

上下文 is a noun. It is also an abjective!

的 is used to connect two different nouns.

的 can be omitted when used as an adjective.

Eg. 中文的书 ----> 中文书

The confusing bit is here:-

Chinese noun can be identical to its adjective.

In the above example, 中文 is actually an adjective but if you use it separately (without 书), it's then a noun.

上下文 in 上下文的重要性 used as an adjective in English is:-

The contextual importance

上下文 in 上下文的重要性 used as a noun in English is:-

The importance of the context

Hence, 的 is like a linking word between "adj + noun" or "noun + noun"

K.

February 4, 2007 at 12:41 AM

Koneko, the parts preceding "的" in the following (and many thousands other! ) examples are neither "adjectives" nor "nouns":

他去年买的车

妈妈做的菜

和我没有什么关系的人

你想去看的电影

So, my very first reply in this thread is as good as you can get concerning the function of "的".

February 4, 2007 at 09:28 AM

@Koneko:

I can accept your definition that "的" is a linking (not modifying) word between "noun + noun" because the particular example shows that. Thanks.

@HashiriKata:

nominal clause + "的" + noun phrase .. explains all your examples.

But that is another function of "的".

February 4, 2007 at 09:45 AM

No problem, hlk123.

Oh by the way, HashiriKata was right. There must be tons of similar questions on 的 previously posted by others.

There was a time I went missing ...

I couldn't stop but wonder: if I was helping Miu Miu to look for Sumire on the Greek Island, while Sumire went missing - totally evaporated in this world. Not sure, if this could explain why I wasn't in this forum for a long time. Does this assumption fit into the gap?

Somehow, I managed to escape this surrealism rather oneirically. Did this forum pull me out from the disillusion?

Anyway, here am I again - answering your questions.

K.

February 4, 2007 at 10:09 AM

I couldn't stop but wonder: if I was helping Miu Miu to look for Sumire on the Greek Island, while Sumire went missing - totally evaporated in this world. Not sure, if this could explain why I wasn't in this forum for a long time. Does this assumption fit into the gap?
Somehow, I managed to escape this surrealism rather oneirically. Did this forum pull me out from the disillusion?

This should count as the most difficult grammar question I've ever encountered on the forums. What does it mean?

(Or are you still talking in your dreams? )

February 4, 2007 at 11:06 AM

Ha ha ha... I think I must be schizophrenic.

助けて！

村上春樹の『スプートニクの恋人』もう読んだ？

K.

February 4, 2007 at 11:15 AM

Yes, I have:

"...the two women travel together to a remote Greek island. One night, Sumire at last approaches Miu sexually. It's a disaster; Miu fails to become aroused. Sumire is devastated."

Exciting, isn't it?

But this is probably too much for public consumption, so please check your PM!