What is 的是?

[stevenjac]

For example, 我唯一想做的是去钓鱼

What is 的是?

If you can, please give me a bunch of example sentences that use 的是. I would much appreciate it.

[889]

Try parsing it like this: 我唯一    想做的    是去钓鱼。

[Publius]

The particle 的 is used to form a relative clause.

 

There are two types of relative clauses: bound and free. (Please read this section carefully before we go on: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_clause#Bound_and_free)

 

A bound relative clause modifies a noun. The relative clause serves as an adjectival phrase:

  我想做的事

  I want to do de thing

  the thing that I want to do

 

A free relative clause does not explicitly modify a noun. The clause itself serves as a noun phrase in the main clause:

  我想做的是去钓鱼

  I want to do de is go fishing

  What I want to do is go fishing.

 

Let me quote from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_clause#Chinese:

Quote

In Mandarin Chinese, the relative clause is similar to other adjectival phrases in that it precedes the noun that it modifies, and ends with the relative particle de....

...

Free relative clauses are formed in the same way, omitting the modified noun after the particle de.

In other words,

1) if a verbal phrase + 的 is modifying a noun, then 的 is equivalent to 'that' in English;

2) if a verbal phrase + 的 is not modifying a noun but is used as a noun itself, then 的 is equivalent to 'what (=that which)' in English. In this case, 的 acts sort of like a nominalizer.

 

Still with me? Now I'm going to take some examples from this Chinese Grammar Wiki page https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Modifying_nouns_with_phrase_%2B_"de" and turn them into free relative clauses:

  不喜欢中国菜的老外 the foreigners who don't like Chinese food

  不喜欢中国菜的是少数 Those who don't like Chinese food are in the minority.

 

  穿普拉达的女人 women who wear Prada

  穿普拉达的请向前走一步 Those who wear Prada please step forward.

 

  客户问的问题 the questions that the client asked

  客户问的不是这个 This is not what the client asked.

 

  妈妈给我买的衣服 the clothes that mom bought for me

  这就是妈妈给我买的 This IS what mom bought me.

 

  他写的书 the books that he wrote

  他写的全是垃圾 What he wrote are all rubbish.

 

  我画的画 the pictures that I draw

  我画的是猫 What I'm drawing is a cat.

 

  老板请的朋友 the friends that the boss invited

  老板请的是位很重要的朋友 The one that the boss invited is a very important friend.

 

Hope this helps.

[Daniel Tsui]

我唯一想做的是去钓鱼。

Try to parse it like this.

我唯一想做的（事）  是   去钓鱼。 The only thing that I want to do is fishing.

不喜欢中国菜的老外   是      少数 the foreigners who don't like Chinese food are in the minority.

不喜欢中国菜的(人）   是    少数 People who don't like Chinese food are in the minority.

穿普拉达的女人    请向前走一步  women who wear Prada please step forward.
穿普拉达的（人）    请向前走一步 People who wear Prada please step forward.

 

when the noun after 的 is already mentioned, under discussion, implied, or otherwise presumed familiar to the listener or reader is usually omitted.

[Tulee]

Agree with what the posters above said.

 

Try to separate the 的and是。的 makes 我唯一想做的 the only thing i want to do （though without the 的 that phrase would not be usable unless you altered it in a strange way. 是simply means 'is'. The only thing i want to do - is- (to) go fishing.