<p>他们的钱 isn't a sentence but a nominal phrase, meaning <em>their money</em>.</p>
<p>钱他们的 could be taken as the shorthand of 这钱是他们的.</p>
<p>那是他们的 is correct.  However 他们的是那 isn't.  You need a measure word there.  E. g.  他们的是那个。It's hard to explain why.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-02T13:06:21.847Z
2020-08-02T13:06:21.847Z
dan
<p>他們的 means &quot;theirs&quot;.</p>
<p>他們的是那。 is not correct. If you want to put 那 on a latter place, use 他們的是那一個。 or 他們的是那一件。.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-02T04:36:00.740Z
2020-08-02T04:36:00.740Z
000
<p>Shandong people like me tend to reverse the order of some sentences in spoken language. For example: 山东人我是. The sentence is definitely not grammatical. I admit it is a bad habit, but it is  very common in my hometown. I guess this phenomenon might also be found in other areas.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-02T00:05:11.160Z
2020-08-02T00:10:42.660Z
2020-08-02T00:10:42.660Z
River
<p>If we want to interpret 的 as corresponding to <code>'s</code> in English, we'll need to change the noun: we don't add <code>'s</code> to <code>their</code> to indicate possession in English.  So let's change 他们 to a random name: Michael.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>那是他们的 -&gt; 那是Michael的。<br />
That is theirs -&gt; That is Michael's.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>No problems above, both in Chinese and English.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>他们的是那个 -&gt; Michael的是那个。<br />
Theirs is that one -&gt; Michael's is that one.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>For this one, I believe we need to add a measure word 个 (like in English too).</p>
<blockquote>
<p>他们的钱 -&gt; Michael的钱<br />
Their money -&gt; Michael's money</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is not a sentence in English (nor Chinese) since it contains no verb, but it could be contained inside a sentence.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>钱他们的 -&gt; 钱Michael的。<br />
Money theirs -&gt; money Michael's</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This should be considered ungrammatical (perhaps it's okay under some uncommon interpretation, but a Chinese teacher will likely mark this as plain wrong).  We can fix this by adding a 是:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>钱是他们的 -&gt; 钱是Michael的。<br />
[The] money is theirs -&gt; [The] money is Michael's</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-07T11:31:36.913Z
2020-08-07T11:31:36.913Z
Becky 李蓓
<p>I think maybe your question should be how to use 那 rather than 的。</p>
<p>那[個]是他们的。 If you use 那 at the beginning of a sentence, the 個 usually could be ignored.</p>
<p>他们的是那個。 If you use 那 at the end of a sentence, the 個 usually can't be ignored. I'll introduce you an expection. The expection explains why 他们的是那 is incorrect, especially when this sentence is talking about objects.</p>
<p>You can use 那 to end a sentence in order to answer WHERE question or represent DIRECTION. (那 contains DIRECTION meaning itself.)</p>
<p>Example A:</p>
<p>Q:火車站在哪？ (Where is the railway station?)</p>
<p>A:火車站往那！ (You point a direction to indicate where the railway station is.)</p>
<p>Example B:</p>
<p>Q: Where is my book?</p>
<p>A: 你的書在那！(You point to the table at right hand side, because the book is on that table.)</p>
<p>So, back to your question...</p>
<p>他们的是那。 Is this sentence saying that some kind of DIRECTION belong to them? It doesn't make any sense, right? As a native user, I'll expect a 個、些..etc at the end of 他们的是那__.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-02T15:44:20.057Z
2020-08-02T16:02:16.670Z
2020-08-02T16:02:16.670Z
HungYu Chang
<p>那是他们的。 correct</p>
<p>他们的是那。 Basically it's incorrect, beacuse it's not a complete sentence. If your sentence is &quot;他们的是那個&quot;, it would be correct.</p>
<p>他们的钱。 correct</p>
<p>钱他们的。 Actually, it's correct.</p>
<p>E.g.
這是我的車.(This is  my car).
這車是我的.(This car is mine). More shorter &quot;車我的&quot; is also understandable for native user.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-02T11:45:46.353Z
If the second sentence is incomplete and needs a addition after 的, why is the first sentence complete and does not need a addition? Similarly with "這車是我的".
Wojciech
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-02T01:27:50.893Z
2020-08-02T01:27:50.893Z
HungYu Chang
<p>I'm confused with the possessive particle 的, it was explained to me as 's in English and &quot;of&quot; something. Like, Y的X becomes X of Y.</p>
<pre><code>那是他们的。
他们的是那。
</code></pre>
<p>Here are two sentences that from that logic would both mean the same thing and both be correct. However, we would put 的 at the end in this case. But I'm not sure why. Another example would be:</p>
<pre><code>他们的钱。
钱他们的。
</code></pre>
<p>Here the first sentence is correct and how I would write it, whereas in the first example I would have used the second sentence which would be wrong?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-01T23:14:52.293Z
In both pairs of sentences the second one is not grammatical. The first ones don't follow the same exact pattern... I'm having a bit of a hard time figuring out what you are asking.
blackgreen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-01T23:24:33.160Z
Then why are the first sentences grammatical and why did the pattern change?
Wojciech
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-01T23:35:05.247Z
The first sentences can be translated as "that is **theirs**" and "**their** money". "他們的" are respectively possessive pronoun and possessive adjective here. The second sentence of the second example may work if you put a comma: "錢, 他們的" which means "The money is theirs".
Firmin Martin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-02T03:52:43.680Z
Related: [Using 的 at the end of a sentence](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/906).
Becky 李蓓
<sentence-structure><particles><word-order><possessives>
Why is 的 at the end of phrases such as 那是他们的 and 钱他们的?
# Why is 的 at the end of phrases such as 那是他们的 and 钱他们的?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-01)

I'm confused with the possessive particle 的, it was explained to me as 's in English and "of" something. Like, Y的X becomes X of Y.

```
那是他们的。
他们的是那。

```

Here are two sentences that from that logic would both mean the same thing and both be correct. However, we would put 的 at the end in this case. But I'm not sure why. Another example would be:

```
他们的钱。
钱他们的。

```

Here the first sentence is correct and how I would write it, whereas in the first example I would have used the second sentence which would be wrong?

**Tags:** sentence-structure, particles, word-order, possessives

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: In both pairs of sentences the second one is not grammatical. The first ones don't follow the same exact pattern... I'm having a bit of a hard time figuring out what you are asking.  
> **username_0**: Then why are the first sentences grammatical and why did the pattern change?  
> **username_2**: The first sentences can be translated as "that is **theirs**" and "**their** money". "他們的" are respectively possessive pronoun and possessive adjective here. The second sentence of the second example may work if you put a comma: "錢, 他們的" which means "The money is theirs".  
> **username_3**: Related: [Using 的 at the end of a sentence](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/906).  

---

## 6 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-08-02. Score: 2

他们的钱 isn't a sentence but a nominal phrase, meaning *their money*.

钱他们的 could be taken as the shorthand of 这钱是他们的.

那是他们的 is correct. However 他们的是那 isn't. You need a measure word there. E. g. 他们的是那个。It's hard to explain why.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-08-02. Score: 1

他們的 means "theirs".

他們的是那。 is not correct. If you want to put 那 on a latter place, use 他們的是那一個。 or 他們的是那一件。.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2020-08-02. Score: 1

Shandong people like me tend to reverse the order of some sentences in spoken language. For example: 山东人我是. The sentence is definitely not grammatical. I admit it is a bad habit, but it is very common in my hometown. I guess this phenomenon might also be found in other areas.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-08-07. Score: 0

If we want to interpret 的 as corresponding to `'s` in English, we'll need to change the noun: we don't add `'s` to `their` to indicate possession in English. So let's change 他们 to a random name: Michael.

> 那是他们的 -> 那是Michael的。  
> That is theirs -> That is Michael's.

No problems above, both in Chinese and English.

> 他们的是那个 -> Michael的是那个。  
> Theirs is that one -> Michael's is that one.

For this one, I believe we need to add a measure word 个 (like in English too).

> 他们的钱 -> Michael的钱  
> Their money -> Michael's money

This is not a sentence in English (nor Chinese) since it contains no verb, but it could be contained inside a sentence.

> 钱他们的 -> 钱Michael的。  
> Money theirs -> money Michael's

This should be considered ungrammatical (perhaps it's okay under some uncommon interpretation, but a Chinese teacher will likely mark this as plain wrong). We can fix this by adding a 是:

> 钱是他们的 -> 钱是Michael的。  
> [The] money is theirs -> [The] money is Michael's


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2020-08-02. Score: 0

I think maybe your question should be how to use 那 rather than 的。

那[個]是他们的。 If you use 那 at the beginning of a sentence, the 個 usually could be ignored.

他们的是那個。 If you use 那 at the end of a sentence, the 個 usually can't be ignored. I'll introduce you an expection. The expection explains why 他们的是那 is incorrect, especially when this sentence is talking about objects.

You can use 那 to end a sentence in order to answer WHERE question or represent DIRECTION. (那 contains DIRECTION meaning itself.)

Example A:

Q:火車站在哪？ (Where is the railway station?)

A:火車站往那！ (You point a direction to indicate where the railway station is.)

Example B:

Q: Where is my book?

A: 你的書在那！(You point to the table at right hand side, because the book is on that table.)

So, back to your question...

他们的是那。 Is this sentence saying that some kind of DIRECTION belong to them? It doesn't make any sense, right? As a native user, I'll expect a 個、些..etc at the end of 他们的是那\_\_.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2020-08-02. Score: 0

那是他们的。 correct

他们的是那。 Basically it's incorrect, beacuse it's not a complete sentence. If your sentence is "他们的是那個", it would be correct.

他们的钱。 correct

钱他们的。 Actually, it's correct.

E.g.
這是我的車.(This is my car).
這車是我的.(This car is mine). More shorter "車我的" is also understandable for native user.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: If the second sentence is incomplete and needs a addition after 的, why is the first sentence complete and does not need a addition? Similarly with "這車是我的".  

---

