的, 得, 地: which de to use

By the HanTrace team · Updated October 25, 2026

Mandarin has three characters that are all pronounced de — and picking the wrong one is a joke that runs even among native speakers, who mix them up in casual writing all the time. For learners, though, the three have completely different jobs, and there is a simple test that gets you the right one almost every time: look at what comes next.

的 — possession and description (before a noun)

If the next word is a noun, you almost always want 的. It links a possessor or a description to the thing:

• wǒ de māo (我的猫) — my cat: 我 + 的 + noun
• hǎo hē de shuǐ (好喝的水) — good-to-drink water: description + 的 + noun

得 — how well an action goes (after a verb)

If the word follows a verb and describes how the action went, use 得:

• shuō de hěn hǎo (说得很好) — speak very well: verb 说 + 得 + complement
• pǎo de kuài (跑得快) — run fast: verb 跑 + 得 + complement

地 — turning words into adverbs (before a verb)

If the word comes before a verb and describes how it is done, use 地:

• màn màn de zǒu (慢慢地走) — walk slowly: 慢慢 + 地 + verb
• rènzhēn de xué (认真地学) — study seriously: 认真 + 地 + verb

The quick test

In short: 的 + noun, verb + 得, 地 + verb. When you are unsure, find the verb — it anchors both of the other two.

Even native speakers mix them up

In casual online writing, many native speakers type 的 everywhere — because on a pinyin keyboard all three come up as “de” and 的 is the default candidate. Texting your friends, nobody will blink. But in schoolwork, exams, and anything formal, the distinction is enforced, and using the wrong one looks careless. Learn the rule once and you will out-type half the internet.

Want to hear the words above with natural audio? Every example word — 我的猫, 说得很好, 慢慢地走 — can be looked up in the search bar above, and each character page links to its stroke order and pronunciation.