9 Noun phrases

A noun phrase consists of a noun and any words that describe or ‘modify’ the noun. Here is an example of a noun phrase with the noun emphasized.

三个大老虎

三個大老虎

sān gè dà láohǔ

three big tigers

Additional examples of noun phrases are presented below.

In this chapter, we refer to the noun that is being described or modified as the head noun and to the words or phrases that describe or modify the head noun as the modifier.

In Mandarin Chinese, the relative position of modifier and noun is constant:

In Chinese, all noun modifiers occur before the head noun.

9.1 Modifying a noun with a specifier and/or number

Nouns can be modified by

a specifier (‘this,’ ‘that,’ ‘which?’)

or a number (‘four,’ ‘twenty’),

or a specifier and number together (‘these four,’ ‘those twenty,’ ‘which two?’)

In Mandarin, the classifier associated with the noun being modified must be included in the modifying phrase. The entire phrase precedes the head noun as follows:

specifier + classifier + noun

那	本	书
那	本	書
nà	běn	shū
that		book

number + classifier + noun

两	本	书
兩	本	書
liǎng	běn	shū
two		books

specifier + number + classifier + noun

那	三	个	人
那	三	個	人
nà	sān	gè	rén
those	three		people
哪	三	个	人
哪	三	個	人
nǎ	sān	gè	rén
which	three		people?

► 6, 7, 8

9.2 Modifying a noun with all other modifiers: modification with 的 de

Noun modifiers may also be nouns, pronouns, verbs, or phrases that include a verb. These kinds of modifiers are typically followed by the particle 的 de, and the noun phrase has the following form:

modifier + 的 de + head noun

► 5

NOTE

In english, when a modifier includes a verb, the modifier occurs after the head noun as a relative clause introduced by a relative pronoun (‘who,’ ‘whom,’ ‘which’) or a complementizer (‘that’). In these examples, the modifier of the noun is presented in square brackets.

the book [that I bought]

the people [who spoke to you]

In Mandarin, all modifiers precede the head noun. In addition, Mandarin has no words that correspond to relative pronouns or complementizers. Do not attempt to translate them into Chinese.

9.2.1 Examples of noun phrases with different types of modifiers

9.2.1.1 Modifiers that are nouns

Modifier	Head noun	Noun phrase
孩子	衣服	孩子的衣服
háizi	yīfu	háizi de yīfu
child clothing	children’s	clothing
车/車	速度	车的速度
		車的速度
chē	sùdù	chē de sùdù
car	speed	the speed of a/the car
马老师	学生	马老师的学生
馬老師	師學	生馬老師的學生
Mǎ lǎoshī	xuésheng	Mǎ lǎoshī de xuésheng
Professor Ma	student(s)	Professor Ma’s student(s)
美国	城市	美国的城市
美國		美國的城市
Měiguó	chéngshì	Měiguó de chéngshì
America	city	America’s city (cities)/a city (cities) in America.

9.2.1.2 Modifiers that are pronouns

Modifier	Head noun	Noun phrase
我	车/車	我的车
		我的車
wǒ	chē	wǒ de chē
I (my)	car	my car
他	家	他的家
tā	jiā	tā de jiā
he (his)	home	his home
你们	书	你们的书
你們	書	你們的書
nǐmen	shū	nǐmen de shū
you (your)	book(s)	your book(s)

Notice that pronoun +的 de serves the same function as a possessive pronoun in English and other languages. There are no possessive pronouns in Mandarin.

See Chapter 5 for a table showing the Mandarin equivalent of English possessive pronouns.

► 5.2.4, 29.2.2

9.2.1.3 Modifiers that are adjectival verbs

Modifier	Head noun	Noun phrase
很贵	车/車	很贵的车
很貴		很貴的車
hěn guì	chē	hěn guì de chē
very expensive	car	a very expensive car

► 10

9.2.1.4 Modifiers that are stative verbs

Modifier	Head noun	Noun phrase
喜欢	车/車	我喜欢的车
喜歡		我喜歡的車
xǐhuan	chē	wǒ xǐhuan de chē
like	car	a car that I like

► 11

9.2.1.5 Modifiers that are action verbs

Modifier	Head noun	Noun phrase
写	字	写的字
寫		寫的字
xiě	zì	xiě de zì
write	character	a character that is written
来	人	来的人
來		來的人
lái	rén	lái de rén
come	people/person	the people who have come/the person who has come

► 13

9.2.1.6 Modifiers that are verb + object

Modifier	Head noun	Noun phrase
唱歌儿	女孩子	唱歌儿的女孩子
唱歌兒		唱歌兒的女孩子
chàng gēr	nǚ háizi	chàng gēr de nǚ háizi
sing song	girl	the girl who is singing
卖书	人	卖书的人
賣書		賣書的人
mài shū	rén	mài shū de rén
sell book	person	the person who sells books

9.2.1.7 Modifiers that are prepositional phrase + verb

Modifier	Head noun	Noun phrase
在公园里玩	人	在公园里玩的人
在公園裏玩		在公園裏玩的人
zài gōngyuán lǐ wán	rén	zài gōngyuán lǐ wán de rén
play in the park	people/person	people who are playing in the park
从日本来	学生	从日本来的学生
從日本來	學生	從日本來的學生
cóng Rìběn lái	xuésheng	cóng Rìběn lái de xuésheng
come from Japan	student	a student who has come from Japan

► 14

9.2.1.8 Modifiers that are subject + verb sequences

Modifier	Head noun	Noun phrase
他喜欢	东西	他喜欢的东西
他喜歡	東西	他喜歡的東西
tā xǐhuan	dōngxi	tā xǐhuan de dōngxi
he likes	things	the things that he likes
我们看	电影	我们看的电影
我們看	電影	我們看的電影
wǒmen kàn	diànyǐng	wǒmen kàn de diànyǐng
we see/we saw	movie	the movie that we saw

9.2.1.9 Modifiers that are question words

Modifier	Head noun	Noun phrase
谁	书	谁的书？
誰	書	誰的書？
shéi	shū	shéi de shū?
who	book	whose book?
哪儿	饭馆	哪儿的饭馆？
哪兒	飯館	哪兒的飯館？
nǎr	fànguǎn	nǎr de fànguǎn?
where	restaurant	a restaurant located where?

► 28.6, 30.4.2

9.3 Omission of the particle 的 de

The particle 的 de is sometimes omitted from the modifier. 的 de may be omitted:

• when the modifier is an unmodified one-syllable adjectival verb.

贵的车/貴的車 guì de chē → 贵车/貴車 guì chē expensive car

but not

很贵的车/很貴的車 hěn guì de chē → *很贵车/很貴車 hěn guì chē

• when the modifier is closely associated with the noun, describing, for example, nationality:

美国的人/美國的人 Měiguó de rén → 美国人/美國人 Měiguó rén American person

• or a close personal relationship in which the modifier is a pronoun:

我的爸爸 wǒ de bàba → 我爸爸 wǒ bàba my father

9.4 Noun modifiers in a series

In Mandarin Chinese, a noun may be modified by any number of modifiers.

• The modifiers occur in a series before the head noun.

• A modifier that is a specifier and/or a number ends with a classifier. All other modifiers may end in the particle 的 de.

• The head noun occurs only once, at the end of the series of modifiers.

Here are examples of noun phrases in which the head noun is modified by a series of modifiers. Each modifying phrase is included in [square brackets].

我们 [昨天看的] [刚出来的] [中国的] 电影

我們 [昨天看的] [剛出來的] [中國的] 電影

wǒmen [zuótiān kàn de] [gāng chūlái de] [Zhōngguó de] diànyǐng

we [yesterday see] [just come out] [China] movie

the Chinese movie that just came out that we saw yesterday

[你给我介绍的] [那两个] [很聪明的] 留学生

[你給我介紹的] [那兩個] [很聰明的] 留學生

[nǐ gěi wǒ jièshào de] [nà liǎng gè] [hěn cōngming de] liúxuéshēng

[you introduced to me] [those two] [very smart] exchange students

those two very smart exchange students who you introduced me to

Modifiers may occur in any order. However, modifiers involving inherent personal characteristics often occur closer to the head noun.

[穿毛衣的] [很可爱的] 小孩子

[穿毛衣的] [很可愛的] 小孩子

[chuān máoyī de] [hěn kě’ài de] xiǎo háizi

[wearing a sweater] [very cute] child

the very cute child who is wearing a sweater

Noun modifiers involving specifiers and numbers often occur first in a sequence of modifiers, though they may also occur closer to the head noun for emphasis or contrast.

[那个] [戴眼镜的] [很高的] 人

[那個] [戴眼鏡的] [很高的] 人

[nàge] [dài yǎnjìng de] [hěn gāo de] rén

[that] [wear glasses] [very tall] person

that very tall person who wears glasses

[很高的] [戴眼镜的] [那个] 人

[很高的] [戴眼鏡的] [那個] 人

[hěn gāo de] [dài yǎnjìng de] [nàge] rén

that very tall person who wears glasses

9.5 Omission of the head noun

When the head noun is predictable from the context, it may be omitted. The presence of 的 de or a classifier at the end of a phrase identifies the phrase as a noun phrase modifier. When the head noun is omitted, 的 de cannot be omitted.

这是谁做的菜?	这是马老师做的(__)。
這是誰做的菜?	這是馬老師做的(__)。
Zhè shì shéi zuò de cài?	Zhè shì Mǎ lǎoshī zuò de (__).
This is food cooked by whom?	This is (food) cooked by Professor Ma.
你喜欢什么样的菜?	我特别喜欢红烧的(__)。
你喜歡甚麼樣的菜?	我特別喜歡紅燒的(__)。
Nǐ xǐhuan shénme yàng de cài?	Wǒ tèbié xǐhuan hóngshāo de (__).
What kind of dishes do you like?	I especially like red cooked (ones).
你要买哪本书?	我要那本(书)。
你要買哪本書?	我要那本(書)。
Nǐ yào mǎi nǎ běn shū?	Wǒ yào nà běn (shū).
Which book do you want to buy?	I want that (one).
多少钱?	三块(钱)。
多少錢?	三塊(錢)。
Duōshǎo qián?	Sān kuài (qián).
How much money?	Three dollars.

9.6 Modification with 之 zhī

之 zhī is the marker of noun modification in literary Chinese, and it is used for this purpose in certain literary expressions in modern Chinese, including the following. These instances of 之 zhī are not interchangeable with 的 de.

Percentages and fractions

三分之一

sān fēn zhī yī

one-third