<p>表示 (v) = to indicate /to show / to express</p>
<p><strong>对</strong>某人某事 = <strong>toward</strong> some person or something</p>
<p>&quot;对某人某事(的)&quot; = &quot;(of) toward some person or something&quot;</p>
<p>的 functions as an adjectival suffix here. The whole phrase &quot;对某人某事的&quot; is now an adjectival phrase for the object &quot;亲近和关心&quot; (fondness and concern)</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[表示] [<strong>对某人某事的</strong>] [亲近和关心。]</p>
<p>[to express ] [the fondness and concern] [<strong>toward some person or something</strong>]</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-09T13:16:52.607Z
2018-05-09T13:59:01.950Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>In the following sentence which explains the usage of <code>～长～短</code> phrase:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>中间嵌入两个相同的名词，表示<strong>对某人某事的</strong>亲近和关心。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I don't understand what the 的 here means. Does it refer to "of ~" but what should be after 的 is omitted here? So without any omission, it should be:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>表示对某人某事<strong>的东西</strong>亲近和关心。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Or does it modify the noun after that (亲近和关心)? In that case, I don't understand then what is the object of 表示, since the whole phrase is now under a preposition (对).</p>

<p>Or am I missing something here and possibly neither is correct?</p>

<grammar><mandarin><preposition>
What does 的 mean in 表示对某人某事的亲近和关心?
# What does 的 mean in 表示对某人某事的亲近和关心?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-09)

In the following sentence which explains the usage of `～长～短` phrase:

> 中间嵌入两个相同的名词，表示**对某人某事的**亲近和关心。

I don't understand what the 的 here means. Does it refer to "of ~" but what should be after 的 is omitted here? So without any omission, it should be:

> 表示对某人某事**的东西**亲近和关心。

Or does it modify the noun after that (亲近和关心)? In that case, I don't understand then what is the object of 表示, since the whole phrase is now under a preposition (对).

Or am I missing something here and possibly neither is correct?

**Tags:** grammar, mandarin, preposition

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-05-09. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

表示 (v) = to indicate /to show / to express

**对**某人某事 = **toward** some person or something

"对某人某事(的)" = "(of) toward some person or something"

的 functions as an adjectival suffix here. The whole phrase "对某人某事的" is now an adjectival phrase for the object "亲近和关心" (fondness and concern)

> [表示] [**对某人某事的**] [亲近和关心。]
>
> [to express ] [the fondness and concern] [**toward some person or something**]


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