的
Meanings · dik1
- (noun) 1. target; (adjective)
- tiny and small; (slang) heave up
Meanings · di1
- of
- ~'s (possessive particle)
- (used after an attribute)
- (used to form a nominal expression)
- (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis)
- truly
- really
- indeed
- target
- to lift up
- few
- small
- to fetch
- to move
- to get
- to pick up
- to force
Meanings · dik1
- of
- ~'s (possessive particle)
- (used after an attribute)
- (used to form a nominal expression)
- (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis)
- truly
- really
- indeed
- target
- to lift up
- few
- small
- to fetch
- to move
- to get
- to pick up
- to force
About these definitions
Source definition segments, in their original order. Characters a definition cites are shown without their Mandarin pinyin; classifier lists that CC-Canto copied from CC-CEDICT are marked Mandarin. The community dictionary is not independently verified by zimai.
Mandarin ↔ Cantonese
- Cantonese嘅ge3↔Mandarin的de
Source note
CC-CEDICT line 23114: Mandarin equivalent: 的[de5]
Only equivalences a source states in its own words (“Mandarin equivalent”, “particle equivalent to”). Not a translation table: usage, register and senses can differ.
Reading & tones
Schematic citation-tone diagrams from the source numbers. These are not recordings or predictions of connected speech.
Same syllable, six tones
Characters whose customary Unihan reading (kCantonese) is this syllable in each tone, chosen as in the tone atlas (2013 standard level, then the number of CC-CEDICT words they form), with CC-Canto 2017's meaning for that reading; a dash means no catalogue character has that reading. Checked syllables (-p, -t, -k) normally carry tones 1, 3 and 6. Character readings, not word readings; no frequency implied.
Written characters
Both source spellings are represented. Written membership is not an etymological or semantic claim.
Mandarin comparison · separate source entries
CC-CEDICT, the Mandarin–English dictionary, lists the same written form:
- 的 de CC-CEDICT · Mandarinof; ~'s (possessive particle); (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun); (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis); (used after a noun, verb or adjective to form a nominal expression, as in 皮革的 pí gé de "one made of leather" or 跑堂兒的 pǎo táng r de "a waiter (literally, one who runs back and forth in a restaurant)" or 新的 xīn de "new one"); also pr. dì or di in poetry and songs
- 的 dī CC-CEDICT · Mandarin(bound form) a taxi; a cab (abbr. for 的士 dī shì)
- 的 dí CC-CEDICT · Mandarinreally and truly
A separate source entry, shown for comparison. The same characters can carry different senses in Mandarin and in Cantonese; zimai does not align these senses.
CC-Canto includes this pinyin reference: de5. It does not establish a Mandarin word with the same meaning.
Look up this spelling in the Mandarin dictionary ↗Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 19 senses · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
dik1
Cantonese word readings for 的. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character · Etymology 1
- bright; clear; distinct
- white; white-coloured
- white forehead of horses; white-foreheaded horse
- centre of target for archery
- aim; standard; criterion
- target; objective
- (historical) red dot worn on the centre of the forehead by women; bindi
- (alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 菂 (dì, “lotus seed”)
- (obsolete) true; real
- really; truly; certainly
character · Etymology 2
- (Jin, Mandarin, Xiang) genitive case marker — Used after an attribute. Indicates that the previous word has possession of the next one. It functions like ’s in English (or like the word “of” but with the position of possessor and possessee switched). ’s; of
- (Jin, Mandarin, Xiang) genitive case marker — Used to link a noun, an adjective or a phrase to a noun to describe it. that; who
- (Jin, Mandarin, Xiang) genitive case marker — Used to express “of that kind”.
- (Jin, Mandarin, Xiang) nominalizer — Used to form a noun phrase or nominal expression.
- (Jin, Mandarin, Xiang) nominalizer — Used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis.
- (Jin, Mandarin, Xiang) nominalizer — Used after a verb or between a verb and its object to stress an element of the sentence. It can be used with 是 (shì) to surround the stressed element.
- (informal) Used to express multiplication or addition. and, by
character · Etymology 3
- (Jin, Mandarin, Xiang) Used in transcription.
- (Jin, Mandarin, Xiang, abbreviation, alt-of) Used in transcription. — short for 的士 (dīshì, “taxi”)
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack