地 — how an action is done (“-ly”)
Pattern: adj. + 地 + V
Adjective + 地 + verb says how the action is done: 他高兴地说 “he said happily”, 慢慢地走 “walk slowly”. The three de: 的 before a noun, 地 before a verb, 得 after a verb.
Examples
| 1 | 他高兴地说：“谢谢！” tā gāoxìng de shuō xièxie He said happily: “Thanks!” |
| 2 | 请慢慢地说。 qǐng mànmàn de shuō Please speak slowly. |
| 3 | 孩子们认真地听老师讲课。 háizimen rènzhēn de tīng lǎoshī jiǎngkè The children listen carefully to the teacher. |
A common mistake
- ✕ Wrong:
他高兴得说。→ ✓ Right: 他高兴地说。
Explanations and examples by Zitou. Pinyin added automatically and checked.