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Verbs, Verb Phrases, and Subject-Predicate Phrases as Attributives (定语)
In the relative-clause patterns here, an action phrase or a clause describing a noun comes before that noun, linked by 的. Compare 妈妈做的菜 (“the dishes Mom made”) with 妈妈做菜 (“Mom cooks”). This lesson focuses on verbal and clausal modifiers, not every type of noun modifier.
吃的东西在桌子上。
吃 + 的 modifies 东西: literally “things to eat”, naturally “food”.
× 这是书我昨天买的。
Incorrect: Places the relative modifier 我昨天买的 after the head noun 书 following English word order. Use 这是我昨天买的书 instead.
Corrected example: 这是我昨天买的书。
Read the full explanation and examples
What Are Verbal and Clausal Attributives?
In Chinese grammar, an attributive (定语, dìngyǔ) is any word or phrase that modifies, restricts, or describes a noun. While elementary learners first meet simple adjectives or pronouns before a noun, Level 2 of the supplied HSK grammar outline introduces a major expansion: using verbs, verb phrases, and subject-predicate phrases as attributives.
In English, when you describe a noun using an action or a mini-sentence, you usually place a relative clause after the noun—for example, "the person who is running" or "the food that Mom cooked." Mandarin does not use relative pronouns like "who," "which," or "that" in this way, and it never places the modifying description after the noun. Instead, the entire descriptive action is placed before the head noun (中心语, zhōngxīnyǔ) and connected to it with the structural particle 的 (de).
Verbs and Verb Phrases as Attributives
When a single verb or a longer verb phrase modifies a noun, the particle 的 is required between the verbal element and the head noun. The verb phrase can include time words, adverbs, or objects.
The head noun usually has one of two logical relationships with the preceding verb phrase:
- The head noun is the receiver or target of the action (for example, food for eating or a phone that was bought).
- The head noun is the doer of the action (for example, a person who is running).
吃的东西在桌子上。
吃 + 的 modifies 东西: literally “things to eat”, naturally “food”.
跑步的人是我哥哥。
Verb phrase 跑步 (pǎobù) + 的 modifies the actor head noun 人 (rén).
昨天买的手机很贵。
Time word + verb 昨天买 (zuótiān mǎi) + 的 modifies the receiver head noun 手机 (shǒujī).
Subject-Predicate Phrases as Attributives
A subject-predicate phrase (主谓短语, zhǔwèi duǎnyǔ) is a mini-clause containing its own subject and verb. When you want to specify who did the action to the head noun—such as "the dishes that Mom cooked" or "the words that the teacher said"—this entire subject-verb package goes before 的 and the head noun.
妈妈做的菜很好吃。
Subject-predicate phrase 妈妈做 (māma zuò) + 的 modifies the head noun 菜 (cài).
老师说的话很重要。
Subject-predicate phrase 老师说 (lǎoshī shuō) + 的 modifies the head noun 话 (huà).
Notice how the verb inside the attributive does not take a duplicate object after it. Because 菜 (cài, dishes) and 话 (huà, words) are already serving as the head nouns after 的, you do not repeat an object or pronoun inside the modifier.
Useful Contrast: Full Sentence vs. Modified Noun Phrase
In Mandarin, the presence and position of 的 completely change a sequence of words from a complete statement into a noun phrase. Compare how the same words behave with and without 的:
- Without 的: 妈妈做菜 (Māma zuò cài) is a full subject-verb-object clause meaning "Mom cooks food."
- With 的: 妈妈做的菜 (māma zuò de cài) is a single noun phrase meaning "the food that Mom cooked." Because it is only a noun phrase, it normally needs a predicate after it (such as 很好吃, "is very delicious", or 在桌子上, "is on the table") to form a complete sentence.
Common Learner Mistakes
A common word-order error is to put the head noun first and then attach the entire relative clause as in English. In this Chinese relative-clause pattern, put the modifier before the head noun.
× 这是书我昨天买的。
Incorrect: Places the relative modifier 我昨天买的 after the head noun 书 following English word order. Use 这是我昨天买的书 instead.
Corrected example: 这是我昨天买的书。
这是我昨天买的书。
Correct replacement: The subject-predicate modifier 我昨天买 + 的 comes directly before the head noun 书.
A second common mistake is dropping 的 when a subject-predicate phrase is used as the subject of a larger sentence. Without 的, the beginning of the sentence reads like a finished action clause, making the location predicate that follows ungrammatical.
× 妈妈做菜在桌子上。
Incorrect: Omits 的, leaving 妈妈做菜 as a verbal clause that cannot serve as a concrete noun subject before 在桌子上. Use 妈妈做的菜在桌子上 instead.
Corrected example: 妈妈做的菜在桌子上。
妈妈做的菜在桌子上。
Correct replacement: Inserting 的 turns 妈妈做的菜 into a noun phrase referring to the dishes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ever omit 的 when a verb or subject-predicate phrase modifies a noun?
In standard HSK 2 usage, when a verb phrase or subject-predicate phrase describes a noun in a relative-clause sense (like 'the book I bought' or 'the person who is running'), 的 is obligatory. Omitting 的 either changes the phrase into a verb-object sentence or creates an ungrammatical string.
Why don't we put 了 right before 的 in phrases like 昨天买的书?
昨天 locates an event in the past; it does not itself mean “completed”. 昨天买的书 naturally identifies the book through the buying event without requiring 了. In this basic pattern, do not insert 了 mechanically before 的 just because the event is past. Aspect marking in more complex modifiers depends on the construction and intended meaning.
