<p>What's the purpose of 的 in the following sentences?</p>
<p>(1) 谁说的？</p>
<p>The 的 here functions like &quot;it&quot;, i.e. used as the subject of the verb, 说, (&quot;said&quot;)</p>
<p>Thus 谁说的？ would be translated as &quot;who said it&quot;</p>
<p>(2)  他们来喝茶，喝的是一家人一起吃饭的快乐。</p>
<p>Here the first 的 is for connecting / linking a verb, 喝, and a common noun, 一家人, and the second 的 is for connecting / linking a verb, 一起吃, and an abstract noun, 快乐</p>
<p>(3)   中文的不是买的</p>
<p>This is badly written. It should be 中文是买不得的, i.e. Chinese, (language proficiency), can't be bought.</p>
<p>The 的 here is the 是…..............的 structure, which is:-</p>
<p>是 [thing to be emphasized] 的</p>
<p>Thus 是 (买不得) 的</p>
<p>(4) Please refer to @Brian Cheung comment.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-10T13:29:44.693Z
2022-07-10T14:00:34.140Z
2022-07-10T14:00:34.140Z
Wayne Cheah
<p><strong>Sentences 1 to 3</strong>, <em>的 functions as a nominalizer</em>, i.e. it turns something into a noun.</p>
<p>说 - to say</p>
<p>说的 - the thing that is/was said</p>
<p>喝 - to drink</p>
<p>喝的 - the thing that is/was drunk</p>
<p>中文 - Chinese language</p>
<p>中文的 - the thing that is/was in Chinese</p>
<p>买 - to buy</p>
<p>买的 - the thing that is/was bought</p>
<p><strong>Sentence 1 谁说的？</strong></p>
<p>说的 is the object of the sentence (question, actually). So:</p>
<p>Who said (the thing that was said)? In other words, who said it.</p>
<p><strong>Sentence 2: 他们来喝茶，喝的是一家人一起吃饭的快乐。</strong></p>
<p>They come to drink tea. (The thing that is drunk) is the joy of sharing a meal together as a family.</p>
<p>In other words:</p>
<p>They come to drink tea. What they are drinking is the joy of sharing a meal together as a family.</p>
<p>&quot;Drink&quot; is used figuratively here.</p>
<p><strong>Sentence 3: 中文的不是买的。</strong></p>
<p>(The thing that is in Chinese) is not (a thing that was bought).</p>
<p>The meaning is not immediately obvious, but given a context, it is perfectly grammatical and logical.</p>
<p>You have two books, one in Chinese and one in English, on your desk, and you're telling your friend:</p>
<p>英文的是买的，中文的不是买的。</p>
<p>The English one is bought; the Chinese one is not bought. (Perhaps borrowed from the library? Given by someone? Written by you yourself?... etc.)</p>
<p><strong>Sentence 4: 我会玩的开心。</strong></p>
<p>I agree with others that this is a confusion over 的 and 得.</p>
<p>It should be &quot;我會玩得開心&quot;, with 得 as adverb marker.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-11T09:55:16.503Z
Another way of expressing 买的 is 买来的.
Simon Biber
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-11T15:20:33.030Z
Isn't 谁说的 just short for 是谁说的?  If so, most learners would no this as a "是......的" construction that emphasizes a detail of a past event.
Vegawatcher
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-12T18:20:48.950Z
@Vegawatcher You're right, but there's probably more than one way to parse a sentence.
monalisa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-10T18:32:21.620Z
2022-07-10T18:32:21.620Z
monalisa
<p>What's the purpose of 的 in the following sentences?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>谁说的？</p>
</li>
<li><p>他们来喝茶，喝的是一家人一起吃饭的快乐。</p>
</li>
<li><p>中文的不是买的。(What does this sentence actually mean?)</p>
</li>
<li><p>我会玩的开心。(What does this sentence actually mean?)</p>
</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-10T07:35:27.387Z
To me 3 is ungrammatical. 4 it should be 我會玩得開心. Many people cannot distinguish between 的, 地 and 得.
Brian Cheung
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-11T16:56:15.740Z
@BrianCheung: Your first sentence is wrong. Your last two are right.
user21820
<grammar>
Purpose of 的 in 谁说的？
# Purpose of 的 in 谁说的？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-10)

What's the purpose of 的 in the following sentences?

1. 谁说的？
2. 他们来喝茶，喝的是一家人一起吃饭的快乐。
3. 中文的不是买的。(What does this sentence actually mean?)
4. 我会玩的开心。(What does this sentence actually mean?)

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: To me 3 is ungrammatical. 4 it should be 我會玩得開心. Many people cannot distinguish between 的, 地 and 得.  
> **username_2**: @username_1: Your first sentence is wrong. Your last two are right.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2022-07-10. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

**Sentences 1 to 3**, *的 functions as a nominalizer*, i.e. it turns something into a noun.

说 - to say

说的 - the thing that is/was said

喝 - to drink

喝的 - the thing that is/was drunk

中文 - Chinese language

中文的 - the thing that is/was in Chinese

买 - to buy

买的 - the thing that is/was bought

**Sentence 1 谁说的？**

说的 is the object of the sentence (question, actually). So:

Who said (the thing that was said)? In other words, who said it.

**Sentence 2: 他们来喝茶，喝的是一家人一起吃饭的快乐。**

They come to drink tea. (The thing that is drunk) is the joy of sharing a meal together as a family.

In other words:

They come to drink tea. What they are drinking is the joy of sharing a meal together as a family.

"Drink" is used figuratively here.

**Sentence 3: 中文的不是买的。**

(The thing that is in Chinese) is not (a thing that was bought).

The meaning is not immediately obvious, but given a context, it is perfectly grammatical and logical.

You have two books, one in Chinese and one in English, on your desk, and you're telling your friend:

英文的是买的，中文的不是买的。

The English one is bought; the Chinese one is not bought. (Perhaps borrowed from the library? Given by someone? Written by you yourself?... etc.)

**Sentence 4: 我会玩的开心。**

I agree with others that this is a confusion over 的 and 得.

It should be "我會玩得開心", with 得 as adverb marker.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Another way of expressing 买的 is 买来的.  
> **username_6**: Isn't 谁说的 just short for 是谁说的?  If so, most learners would no this as a "是......的" construction that emphasizes a detail of a past event.  
> **username_4**: @username_6 You're right, but there's probably more than one way to parse a sentence.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2022-07-10. Score: 3

What's the purpose of 的 in the following sentences?

(1) 谁说的？

The 的 here functions like "it", i.e. used as the subject of the verb, 说, ("said")

Thus 谁说的？ would be translated as "who said it"

(2) 他们来喝茶，喝的是一家人一起吃饭的快乐。

Here the first 的 is for connecting / linking a verb, 喝, and a common noun, 一家人, and the second 的 is for connecting / linking a verb, 一起吃, and an abstract noun, 快乐

(3) 中文的不是买的

This is badly written. It should be 中文是买不得的, i.e. Chinese, (language proficiency), can't be bought.

The 的 here is the 是…..............的 structure, which is:-

是 [thing to be emphasized] 的

Thus 是 (买不得) 的

(4) Please refer to @username_1 comment.


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