长定语【cháng dìngyǔ】

An attributive is everything in front of a noun that describes it. Every attributive goes before its noun, and a clause used this way ends in 的. In formal writing these clauses grow long – a whole sentence's worth of information can sit before one noun, where English would put a "that" or "which" clause after it.

Reading one

Find the noun first: it is after the last 的. Then read the attributive as one block describing it.

Here the head noun is 因素 "factors"; everything from 影响 to 主要 describes it.

Order inside the attributive

A number and measure word usually come first, then the clause with 的, then a short adjective or noun that sits right against the head noun with no 的.

The demonstrative and measure word can also follow the clause. This puts more weight on the clause, and it is the usual order when the clause tells you which one.

Fewer 的

Only the clause needs 的. A one-syllable adjective or a noun that names a type joins the head noun directly: 新政策, 交通问题. A run of three or four 的 reads badly; drop the ones that aren't needed.

• × 我的朋友的公司的经理 → 我朋友公司的经理

When the attributive gets too long to follow, writers move part of it after the noun as its own clause, often with 旨在 or 用于.

English order

A relative clause never follows its noun.

• × 这是书我昨天买的 → 这是我昨天买的书
• × 那个人坐在门口是我们的校长 → 坐在门口的那个人是我们的校长