地How to Use 地 (de) to Say How Something Is Done

The pattern

Subject + description + 地 + verb.

The description comes before the verb, not after it as in English: "he said happily" is 他高兴地说, literally "he happy 地 said". 地 is pronounced with a light, neutral tone. If the description is negative, 不 stays inside it: 不高兴地 means "unhappily".

1. 他高兴地说：“我明天来！”Tā gāoxìng de shuō: “Wǒ míngtiān lái!”He said happily, "I'll come tomorrow!"
2. 孩子们快乐地唱歌。Háizimen kuàilè de chàng gē.The children are singing happily.
3. 她不高兴地走了。Tā bù gāoxìng de zǒu le.She left unhappily.

Doubled words: 慢慢地, 好好地

A one-syllable adjective is often doubled before 地: 慢慢地 (slowly), 好好地 (properly, well), 早早地 (nice and early). Doubling makes the description sound more vivid.

With doubled words, 地 can usually be left out. 你慢慢吃 and 你慢慢地吃 are both correct.

1. 请慢慢地说。Qǐng mànmàn de shuō.Please speak slowly.
2. 你好好地休息吧。Nǐ hǎohǎo de xiūxi ba.Get some proper rest.
3. 她早早地起床了。Tā zǎozǎo de qǐchuáng le.She got up nice and early.
4. 你慢慢吃。Nǐ mànmàn chī.Take your time eating.

One-syllable words and "one by one"

A single one-syllable adjective does not normally take 地. Put it straight before the verb (快走, 慢走), or add 很 and then use 地: 很快地. 快地 on its own sounds wrong.

地 also follows counting phrases such as 一个一个地 (one by one) and 一个字一个字地 (one character at a time).

1. 你快走吧。Nǐ kuài zǒu ba.Hurry up and go.
2. 他很快地吃完了饭。Tā hěn kuài de chīwán le fàn.He quickly finished his meal.
3. 请大家一个一个地进来。Qǐng dàjiā yí ge yí ge de jìnlái.Please come in one by one, everyone.
4. 他一个字一个字地写。Tā yí ge zì yí ge zì de xiě.He writes one character at a time.

的, 地 or 得?

All three are pronounced de, so learners mix them up in writing. 的 comes before a noun (快乐的孩子, a happy child). 地 comes before a verb (快乐地笑, laugh happily). 得 comes after a verb and adds a comment on how the action is done (跑得很快, runs fast).

A simple test: look at the word straight after the gap. If it is a noun, write 的; if it is a verb, write 地. If the gap comes right after the verb, write 得.

1. 他是一个快乐的孩子。Tā shì yí ge kuàilè de háizi.He is a happy child.
2. 他快乐地笑了。Tā kuàilè de xiào le.He laughed happily.
3. 他跑得很快。Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.He runs fast.

The most common mistakes

The most common mistake is writing 的 instead of 地: 她高兴的说 should be 她高兴地说. You will see 的 used this way in casual writing online, but in textbooks and in the HSK exam the verb needs 地.

The other mistake is putting the description after the verb, as in English. 孩子们唱歌快乐地 is wrong; say 孩子们快乐地唱歌. The description with 地 always comes before the verb.

Printable worksheet

Practise this grammar point on paper: 20 exercises using only HSK 2 words, with an answer key on a separate page. Free to print and copy for your class.

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More HSK grammar

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• 从……到 How to Say "From... To" with 从……到 HSK 2
• 的 得 地 的, 得 or 地: Which de to Use HSK 2
• 得 How to Use 得 (de) to Describe How Someone Does Something HSK 2
• 跟……一起 How to Use 跟……一起 (Together With) HSK 2
• 过 How to Use 过 (guo) for Past Experience HSK 2

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