<p>I think the easist way to distinguish the two is to say:</p>

<ul>
<li>這照片是我的 (mine)</li>
<li>這照片是我 (me)</li>
</ul>

<p>... when you need to say these two phrases in the same conversation.</p>

<p>The second phrase looks odd but it works when you are showing the photo :)</p>

<p>Amother option is adding verb, but that is adding more information which might be unavailable.</p>

<ul>
<li>這照片是我拍的 (I took this photo (implies possition))</li>
<li>這照片是我買的 (I bought this photo)</li>
</ul>

<p>Or adding some prepositons:</p>

<ul>
<li>這照片裡是我 (What is in the picture is me)</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-13T12:53:14.803Z
2019-05-13T12:53:14.803Z
gugod
<p>It is a unique feature of Chinese, that things like that are hard to distinguish without a context.</p>

<p>“这是我的照片” can be translated into “This is a picture of me” and “This is a picture of mine” depending on the context.</p>

<p>Similar examples are:
中国足球队谁都打不败。
中国乒乓球队谁都打不败。</p>

<p>The exact same structure gives out two completely different meanings, which can only be interpreted correctly in contexts.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-17T19:49:46.800Z
I think the same sentence is also ambiguous in English: *This is my picture*.
Puco4
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-13T05:16:40.153Z
2019-05-13T05:16:40.153Z
Xuehong Zhang
<p>search web 英文语法，物主代词 one result <a href="http://www.yygrammar.com/Article/201309/3413.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.yygrammar.com/Article/201309/3413.html</a></p>

<p>answering comment:more specific: submit "of mine", "of me" to online dictionaries, e.g. iciba: of mine 我的一个朋友是个非常容易焦虑不安的人 (hence 这是我的一张照片）of me 要看一下我穿过终点线时的照片 吗 ? to emphasize picture shows person, may add person's activity, or location as in quoted example, 这是我穿着囚服的图片（me wearing prison clothes), 这是在监狱里拍摄我的一张相片（picture of me taken in prison)，or submit "picture shows" to iciba: 这张照片照的是女孩的侧面。hence 这张照片照的是我（自己、本人）to specify possession: 这是属于我的一张图片</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-13T04:37:15.313Z
Please be more specific to answering the question.
zyy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-13T03:29:48.483Z
2019-05-13T06:27:14.173Z
2019-05-13T06:27:14.173Z
user6065
<p>这是我的照片 can be interpreted as "It is a photo of me" or "It is a photo that belong to me"</p>

<p>To avoid confusion, you can write:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>这照片是我的 = "this photo is mine"</p></li>
<li><p>这照片中的人是我  = "the person in this photo is me"</p></li>
<li><p>这照片上的人是我  = "the person on this photo is me"</p></li>
</ul>

<p>照片 = photo; picture</p>

<p>图片= graphic; picture</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-13T06:44:09.317Z
When are things 中 a picture and when are they 上？
Ben Jackson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-13T06:50:19.290Z
照片中 = in the picture ; 照片上 = on the picture. You can use either, just like in English
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-13T13:21:21.377Z
I'm not aware of any English dialect where "The person *on* this photo" sounds natural.
chepner
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-13T13:42:09.877Z
When we say 'in a picture'  we are imagining the picture is a world of its own; I was a graphic designer, when I look at a photo, it is natural for me to think a photo is just color patterns on paper.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-13T03:11:09.493Z
2019-05-13T06:51:58.623Z
2019-05-13T06:51:58.623Z
Tang Ho
<blockquote>
<p>This is a PICTURE OF ME.</p>
<p>This is a PICTURE OF MINE.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Both can be translated to</p>
<blockquote>
<p>这是我的图片</p>
</blockquote>

<meaning-in-context>
How to distinguish PICTURE OF ME and PICTURE OF MINE in Chinese?
# How to distinguish PICTURE OF ME and PICTURE OF MINE in Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-05-13)

> This is a PICTURE OF ME.
>
> This is a PICTURE OF MINE.

Both can be translated to

> 这是我的图片

**Tags:** meaning-in-context


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2019-05-13. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

这是我的照片 can be interpreted as "It is a photo of me" or "It is a photo that belong to me"

To avoid confusion, you can write:

* 这照片是我的 = "this photo is mine"
* 这照片中的人是我 = "the person in this photo is me"
* 这照片上的人是我 = "the person on this photo is me"

照片 = photo; picture

图片= graphic; picture

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: When are things 中 a picture and when are they 上？  
> **username_6**: 照片中 = in the picture ; 照片上 = on the picture. You can use either, just like in English  
> **username_8**: I'm not aware of any English dialect where "The person *on* this photo" sounds natural.  
> **username_6**: When we say 'in a picture'  we are imagining the picture is a world of its own; I was a graphic designer, when I look at a photo, it is natural for me to think a photo is just color patterns on paper.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-05-13. Score: 1

I think the easist way to distinguish the two is to say:

* 這照片是我的 (mine)
* 這照片是我 (me)

... when you need to say these two phrases in the same conversation.

The second phrase looks odd but it works when you are showing the photo :)

Amother option is adding verb, but that is adding more information which might be unavailable.

* 這照片是我拍的 (I took this photo (implies possition))
* 這照片是我買的 (I bought this photo)

Or adding some prepositons:

* 這照片裡是我 (What is in the picture is me)


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-05-13. Score: 0

It is a unique feature of Chinese, that things like that are hard to distinguish without a context.

“这是我的照片” can be translated into “This is a picture of me” and “This is a picture of mine” depending on the context.

Similar examples are:
中国足球队谁都打不败。
中国乒乓球队谁都打不败。

The exact same structure gives out two completely different meanings, which can only be interpreted correctly in contexts.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I think the same sentence is also ambiguous in English: *This is my picture*.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-05-13. Score: -1

search web 英文语法，物主代词 one result <http://www.yygrammar.com/Article/201309/3413.html>

answering comment:more specific: submit "of mine", "of me" to online dictionaries, e.g. iciba: of mine 我的一个朋友是个非常容易焦虑不安的人 (hence 这是我的一张照片）of me 要看一下我穿过终点线时的照片 吗 ? to emphasize picture shows person, may add person's activity, or location as in quoted example, 这是我穿着囚服的图片（me wearing prison clothes), 这是在监狱里拍摄我的一张相片（picture of me taken in prison)，or submit "picture shows" to iciba: 这张照片照的是女孩的侧面。hence 这张照片照的是我（自己、本人）to specify possession: 这是属于我的一张图片

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Please be more specific to answering the question.  

---

