的，地，得
dik-7, dei-6, dak-7Table of Contents | Special Topics
的,地, and 得 are commonly used characters in both written Mandarin and Cantonese. In this section we will consider only three of their more common uses -- the role of each as a pre- or postpositional modifier.
Some of the confusion surrounding their use can be attributed to their pronunciation. In Mandarin they are all pronounced the same. This confusion carries over into written Cantonese, even though the pronunciation of each is clearly diffierent in Cantonese.
At first glance their structural pattern also appears identical, but upon careful scrutiny this observation is erroneous.
In quick summary they are used as follows:
Ｂ的Ａ（繁體）：Ｂ的 serves as an adjectival modifier of noun Ａ.
Ｂ地Ａ （繁體）or Ｂ咁Ａ（粵語）：Both Ｂ咁 and Ｂ地 serve as adverbial modifiers of verb Ａ.
Ａ得Ｂ（繁體）：Ｂ is an adjective that when written with 得 serves as an adverbial modifier of verb Ａ.
In all cases Ａ is the modified word element preceded by the postpositional phrase Ｂ的, Ｂ地, or followed by the prepositional phrase 得Ｂ. Many examples are provided below.
Note: The term prepositional phrase should not be applied too strictly in this context, as the so-called object of the prepositional or postpositional particle is often neither a noun nor pronoun. Moreover, the modifying particle has a direct grammatical link to the word it modifies.
| Descriptive noun modifer ：的（繁體） | |||
| 中文 Chinese |
英文 English |
聲音 Cantonese pronunciation |
倉頡字根 Tsong Kit |
| pronoun + 的 + noun | |||
| 我的書 | my book(s) book that belongs to me books that belong to me |
ngo-5 dik-7 sy-1 | 我 竹手戈 書 中土日 |
| noun + 的 + noun | |||
| 我太太的表 | my wife's watch | ngo-5 tai-3 tai-3 dik-7 biu-2 | 我 竹手戈 太 大戈 表 手一女 |
| adjective + 的 + noun | |||
| 美麗的花 | beautiful flower(s) | mei-5 lai-6 dik-7 fa-1 | 美 廿土大 麗 一一月月心 花 廿人心 |
| relative clause + 的 + noun | |||
| 你今日買的書 | the book(s) you bought today | nei-5 gam-1 jat-9 mai-5 dik-7 sy-1 | 你 人弓火 今 人戈弓 買 田中月山金 書 中土日 |
| verb + 的 + noun | |||
|
賣的那本書 鋪子賣的本書 賣出的本書 |
that book for sale / those books for sale book(s) sold in a store sold book(s) |
mai-6 dik-7 na-5 bun-2 sy-1 | 賣 土田中金 那 尸手弓中 本 木一 書 中土日 鋪 金戈十月 子 弓木 |
| Note: 繁體（fan-1 tai-2） refers here to formal written Cantonese. The Cantonese character (pronounced ge-2) used in this context differs from the Mandarin character. Though available in Apple 's MacOS X unicode character list, the character is not retrievable via the Tsong Kit (Cangjie - 倉頡) input method, and will not be introduced here. | |||
| Modified verbs ：地（繁體）︱咁（粵音） | |||
| 中文 Chinese |
英文 English |
聲音 Cantonese pronunciation |
倉頡字根 Tsong Kit |
|
|
|||
| adjective + 地 + verb | |||
| 簡單地說 | speak in a simple manner / speak simply | gan-2 dan-1 dei-6 syt-8 | 地 土心木 簡 竹日弓日 單 口口田十 說 卜口金口山 |
| noun + 地 + verb | |||
| 努力地學 | study industriously / study hard | nou-3 lik-9 dei-6 hok-9 | 地 土心木 努 女水大尸 力 大尸 學 竹月弓木 |
| verb phrase + 地 + verb | |||
| 忘我地工作 | work selflessly / work to the point of forgetting oneself | mong-4 ngo-5 dei-6 gung-1 dzok-8 | 地 土心木 忘 卜女心 我 竹手戈 工 一中一 作 人竹尸 |
| Note: 粵語 (jyt-9 jy-5) refers to spoken Cantonese. | |||
| 中文 Chinese |
英文 English |
聲音 Cantonese pronunciation |
倉頡字根 Tsong Kit |
| 咁（粵音） | |||
| adjective + 咁 + verb | |||
| 簡單咁話 | speak in a simple manner / speak simply | gan-2 dan-1 gam-2 syt-8 | 咁 口廿一 簡 竹日弓日 單 口口田十 說 卜口金口山 |
| noun + 咁 + verb | |||
| 努力咁學 | study industriously / study hard | nou-3 lik-9 gam-2 syt-8 | 咁 口廿一 努 女水大尸 力 大尸 學 竹月弓木 |
| verb phrase + 咁 + verb | |||
| 忘我咁工作 | work selflessly / work to the point of forgetting oneself | mong-4 ngo-5 gam-2 gung-1 dzok-8 | 咁 口廿一 忘 卜女心 我 竹手戈 工 一中一 作 人竹尸 |
| Note: 咁 (gam-2) is the written form of spoken Cantonese. In formal writing, however, the written form of the spoken word is rarely used -- 地 is substituted. | |||
| Note: In spoken Cantonese 說 is usually replaced with either 講 or 話 depending on the context. | |||
| Modified verbs：得（ 繁體） | |||
| 中文 Chinese |
英文 English |
聲音 Cantonese pronunciation |
倉頡字根 Tsong Kit |
| verb + 得 + adjective | |||
| 說得好 | speak well | syt-8 dak-7 hou-2 | 得 竹人日一戈 說 一口金口山 好 女弓木 |
| verb + 得 + adjective | |||
| 翻譯得準確 | translate accurately | fan-1 yik-9 dak-7 | 得 竹人日一戈翻 竹田尸一一 譯 卜口田中十 準 水土十 磪 一口山人土 |
| verb + 得 + adjective | |||
| 生活得很幸福 | live happily | sang-1 wut-9 dak-7 han-2 hang-6 fuk-7 | 得 竹人日一戈 生 竹手一 活 水竹十口 很 竹人日女 幸 土廿十 福 戈火一口田 |
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