<blockquote>
<p>Do attributive-only adjectives like 公共 or 男/女 take 的 at all when modifying a noun?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>They can</p>
<p>Without 的, 男律師 can be a description of a specific male lawyer or male lawyers in general</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>他的辯護律師團由一名男律師，兩名女律師組成</p>
</li>
<li><p>男(性)律師收入高於女(性)律師</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>男的律師 mainly refers to male lawyers in general</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>男(性)的律師收入高於女(性)的律師</p>
</li>
<li><p>的 would be redundant in 他的辯護律師團由一名男的律師，兩名女的律師組成</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>So, adding 的 after an attributive-only adjective makes it precisely a 'in general' description</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-21T19:11:22.053Z
So it’s like the difference between, ‘male lawyers are taller’ and ‘I know a male lawyer’?  Does this also apply to 公共 or 金/銀?
Tosaku
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-21T19:27:54.407Z
yes, 一間公共圖書舘 -->公共的圖書館不像私人的圖書館一般不受政府管制：一把金劍，一把銀刀 --> 金的劍，銀的刀都是富人的武器
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-21T19:33:13.830Z
公共圖書館不像私人圖書館一般不受政府管制 and 金劍，銀刀都是富人的武器 are also valid because attributive-only adjectives can be used for specific or for in- general description.  Adding 的 restrict it to in- general description
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-21T18:45:58.807Z
2023-07-21T19:01:57.157Z
2023-07-21T19:01:57.157Z
Tang Ho
<p>Do attributive-only adjectives like 公共 or 男/女 take 的 at all when modifying a noun?</p>
<p>I realize that they take 的 when in '是—的' construction.  But is it correct to say 公共的建築 or 男的律師.  Or can one only say 公共建築 and 男律師?</p>

<adjectives><morphology>
Do attributive-only adjectives take 的?
# Do attributive-only adjectives take 的?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-07-21)

Do attributive-only adjectives like 公共 or 男/女 take 的 at all when modifying a noun?

I realize that they take 的 when in '是—的' construction. But is it correct to say 公共的建築 or 男的律師. Or can one only say 公共建築 and 男律師?

**Tags:** adjectives, morphology

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-07-21. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

> Do attributive-only adjectives like 公共 or 男/女 take 的 at all when modifying a noun?

They can

Without 的, 男律師 can be a description of a specific male lawyer or male lawyers in general

Example:

* 他的辯護律師團由一名男律師，兩名女律師組成
* 男(性)律師收入高於女(性)律師

男的律師 mainly refers to male lawyers in general

Example:

* 男(性)的律師收入高於女(性)的律師
* 的 would be redundant in 他的辯護律師團由一名男的律師，兩名女的律師組成

So, adding 的 after an attributive-only adjective makes it precisely a 'in general' description

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So it’s like the difference between, ‘male lawyers are taller’ and ‘I know a male lawyer’?  Does this also apply to 公共 or 金/銀?  
> **username_1**: yes, 一間公共圖書舘 -->公共的圖書館不像私人的圖書館一般不受政府管制：一把金劍，一把銀刀 --> 金的劍，銀的刀都是富人的武器  
> **username_1**: 公共圖書館不像私人圖書館一般不受政府管制 and 金劍，銀刀都是富人的武器 are also valid because attributive-only adjectives can be used for specific or for in- general description.  Adding 的 restrict it to in- general description  

---

