"Our son is in the US."
Translation:我们的儿子在美国。
13 Comments
The 的 is unecessary for close familial relationships. The sentence should read 我们儿子在美国。
559
That "rule" again!
I won't say that's wrong but without 的 it sounds less natural to me.
As someone who is taking Chinese courses at a University level (UT Austin, highly rated Chinese programs), using the "de" has been said by EVERY one of my teachers (all natives) to be highly unnatural. De usually is possessive, but in this case, it just isn't necessary. While it isn't "wrong" to have it, it is very marking of a Waiguoren.
They are correct though. 的 is frequently omitted for familial relations in Chinese unless a person wants to emphasize that its "my" son, not someone else's son.
- 559
Please make reference to the article I translated in here
https://www.duolingo.com/topic/951/top
As I said in the linked thread there is no absolute right or wrong on this matter (except those with different meanings). When more integration between the attributive and the noun is wanted, 的 is omitted. A mother may say to her husband on the graduation day of her son 我们儿子长大了! / Our son is a grown man now! .
- 312
Indeed. I wrote the sentence without the 的 and it was concidered incorrect. I reported it.
Thank you. I'm okay with the software marking it wrong, but I wanted to make sure I did not learn incorrectly. Rosetta stone specifically has you omit it.
- 229
Omitting the "de" is accepted in other items! C'mon, Bird! Clean up your act!
- 229
I will be adding this comment to the blog each time the Bird rejects my correct, reported answer.
For the 的, does the fact that 我們's plural have anything to do with them using it here? I know that sometimes rules go out the door when plurality is taken into consideration. I'd be curious to see how a native speaker judges: 我兒子 我的兒子 我們兒子 我們的兒子 I don't know though, just a question.
