Relative Clauses with 的 in Chinese

Overview

Chinese relative clauses use 的 (de) to connect a modifying clause to a noun, but the clause comes BEFORE the noun -- the opposite of English. "The book that I bought" becomes 我买的书 (I-bought-的-book). This pre-nominal modification is one of the most important structural differences between Chinese and English.

At the CEFR B1 level, relative clauses with 的 dramatically expand your ability to describe and specify nouns. They allow you to say "the person who...", "the thing that...", "the place where..." all using the same simple pattern: clause + 的 + noun.

This pattern is an extension of the possessive 的 (我的书 → my book) and the descriptive 的 (漂亮的女孩 → pretty girl). The relative clause is simply a longer modifier before 的.

How It Works

Pattern: Modifying clause + 的 + Noun

English order	Chinese order	Example
the book [that I bought]	[I bought] 的 book	我买的书
people [who speak Chinese]	[speak Chinese] 的 people	说中文的人
the thing [that you want]	[you want] 的 thing	你要的东西

Various relative clause types

Type	Example	Meaning
Subject gap	来的人	the person who came
Object gap	我买的书	the book that I bought
Location	住在北京的人	people who live in Beijing
Time	昨天来的客人	the guest who came yesterday

Examples in Context

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Note
我买的书很好看。	Wǒ mǎi de shū hěn hǎokàn.	The book I bought is good.	object gap
他说的话	tā shuō de huà	what he said	object gap
住在北京的人	zhù zài Běijīng de rén	people living in Beijing	location
你要的东西	nǐ yào de dōngxi	the thing you want	object gap
穿红衣服的女孩	chuān hóng yīfú de nǚhái	the girl wearing red	subject gap
昨天来的客人	zuótiān lái de kèrén	the guest who came yesterday	time
他写的字很好看。	Tā xiě de zì hěn hǎokàn.	His writing looks nice.	object gap
我认识的人不多。	Wǒ rènshi de rén bù duō.	I don't know many people.	object gap
在中国工作的外国人	zài Zhōngguó gōngzuò de wàiguó rén	foreigners working in China	complex
刚才打电话的人是谁？	Gāngcái dǎ diànhuà de rén shì shéi?	Who was the person who just called?	subject gap

Common Mistakes

Putting the clause after the noun (English order)

• Wrong: 书我买的 (book I bought -- English order)
• Right: 我买的书 (I bought-的-book)
• Why: Chinese modifiers always come before what they modify. The relative clause + 的 must precede the noun.

Forgetting 的 between clause and noun

• Wrong: 我买书 when meaning "the book I bought"
• Right: 我买的书
• Why: 的 is the structural marker that turns a clause into a noun modifier. Without it, the clause is just a separate sentence.

Making relative clauses too long

• Wrong: Creating extremely long pre-nominal clauses that are hard to parse
• Right: Break complex ideas into shorter sentences when the relative clause becomes unwieldy
• Why: While Chinese grammar allows long pre-nominal modifiers, excessively long ones reduce clarity.

Practice Tips

• Convert English relative clauses by moving the clause before 的 + noun: "person who helps me" → 帮我的人.
• Practice describing people with relative clauses: 穿蓝色衣服的人 (the person wearing blue), 坐在那边的人 (the person sitting over there).
• Build complexity gradually: start with short clauses (我买的, 他说的) before attempting longer ones.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: 的 for Possession -- understand 的 as a modifier marker first