的-phrases: 红的, 我的, 大的…
短语 / phrases (的字短语)
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
Adj / Pronoun / Verb + 的 (= the one who/that…)
When the noun is obvious, you can drop it and keep just … + 的: 红的 = "the red one", 我的 = "mine", 新买的 = "the one I just bought".
It's like "the … one" in English.
Very useful in shops: 我要大的 (I'll take the big one), 有没有便宜一点儿的？(Do you have a cheaper one?)
Examples
你要红的还是黑的？
Nǐ yào hóng de háishi hēi de?Do you want the red one or the black one?
有没有便宜一点儿的？
Yǒu méiyǒu piányi yìdiǎnr de?Do you have a cheaper one?
这本书不是我的，是图书馆的。
Zhè běn shū bú shì wǒ de, shì túshūguǎn de.This book isn't mine, it's the library's.
新买的比旧的好用多了。
Xīn mǎi de bǐ jiù de hǎoyòng duō le.The new one is much easier to use than the old one.
Common mistakes
✗ 我要红 → ✓ 我要红的.
✗ 这是我 (for "it's mine") → ✓ 这是我的.