Topics
IntermediateNominalization
How verbs and adjectives become nouns in Spanish, English and Chinese.
Compare languages
English and Spanish use articles + adjective or infinitives. Chinese uses 的 as a universal nominalizer and places modifiers before the noun.
Overview
Nominalization turns non-nouns (verbs, adjectives, phrases) into noun-like entities that can function as subjects or objects.
- Spanish: Uses lo + adjective for abstract quality, el/la + adjective for people, and infinitives freely as subjects. Relative clauses with que nominalize.
- English: Uses the + adjective for classes of people, -ing forms as gerunds, infinitives as subjects, and that/wh- clauses as noun clauses.
- Chinese: Uses 的 as a universal nominalizer. Any modifier + 的 can stand as a noun phrase. No articles needed.
Spanish
Lo + adjective (abstract nominalization)
Lo + adjective creates an abstract noun:
- Lo bueno es que… (The good thing is that…)
- No entiendo lo difícil. (I don’t understand the difficult part.)
- Dime lo importante. (Tell me the important thing.)
- Lo mismo me dijo ella. (She told me the same thing.)
- Lo peor es que no vino. (The worst thing is that he didn’t come.)
El/la + adjective (people)
- Los ricos no pagan impuestos. (The rich don’t pay taxes.)
- Ayudemos a los pobres. (Let’s help the poor.)
- Los jóvenes de hoy… (Young people today…)
Infinitive as subject
Spanish freely uses infinitives as subjects:
- Nadar es saludable. (Swimming is healthy.)
- Fumar está prohibido. (Smoking is prohibited.)
- Estudiar requiere dedicación. (Studying requires dedication.)
Infinitive as object
- Me gusta cantar. (I like singing.)
- Decidió irse. (He decided to leave.)
- Intenta entender. (Try to understand.)
Relative clause nominalization
- El que vino fue Juan. (The one who came was Juan.)
- Lo que dijo es verdad. (What he said is true.)
- Cualquiera que venga será bienvenido. (Whoever comes will be welcome.)
Noun clauses with que
- Es importante que estudies. (It is important that you study.)
- Me alegra que hayas venido. (I’m glad you came.)
English
The + adjective
Refers to a class of people:
- The rich (rich people)
- The poor (poor people)
- The elderly (elderly people)
- The good, the bad, and the ugly
Note: Not all adjectives work this way:
- ✅ the good, the bad, the ugly
- ❌ the happy → happy people
- ❌ the tall → tall people
Gerund (-ing) as subject
English prefers gerunds as subjects:
- Swimming is fun.
- Smoking is bad for you.
- Learning languages takes time.
Infinitive as subject (less common)
- To swim is fun. (formal/archaic)
- To err is human. (fixed expression)
- To be or not to be… (Shakespeare)
Infinitive as object
- I want to swim.
- She decided to leave.
- He tried to understand.
Noun clauses
| Introducer | Example |
|---|---|
| that | I know that he is right. |
| wh- | I don’t know what to do. |
| whether/if | I wonder whether he will come. |
| wh- + to | I don’t know how to swim. |
Possessive + gerund
- I don’t like his singing. (the fact that he sings)
- Do you mind my asking? (the fact that I ask)
Free relative clauses
- What you need is rest.
- Whoever comes will be welcome.
- I’ll take whatever you have.
Chinese
的 as universal nominalizer
的 turns any modifier into a noun phrase:
Adjective + 的:
- 好的 (the good one / good things)
- 贵的 (the expensive one)
- 红的 (the red one)
Verb phrase + 的:
- 来的人 (the person who came)
- 我买的 (what I bought)
- 他说的 (what he said)
Pronoun + 的 (possessive):
- 我的 (mine)
- 你的 (yours)
- 我们的 (ours)
Verb as subject
Chinese verbs can be subjects directly:
- 游泳很好。(Swimming is good.)
- 学习需要时间。(Studying requires time.)
No special marking needed.
所 + verb + 的 (formal nominalization)
所 makes a verb more noun-like (formal/written):
- 所见 (what is seen)
- 所闻 (what is heard)
- 所作所为 (actions and behavior)
Verb + 性 / 度 / 率 (abstract noun suffixes)
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 性 | -ness / -ity | 重要性 (importance) |
| 度 | -degree | 难度 (difficulty) |
| 率 | -rate | 成功率 (success rate) |
| 者 | -er / person | 读者 (reader) |
| 员 | -member | 会员 (member) |
Contextual head noun
In speech, Chinese often omits the head noun after 的, leaving it to context:
- A: 你要哪个？(Which one do you want?)
- B: 红的。(The red one.)
Comparison at a glance
| Pattern | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract quality | lo + adj | the + adj + thing / what is + adj | adj + 的 |
| Class of people | los/las + adj | the + adj | adj + 的 + 人 |
| Verb as subject | Infinitive | Gerund (-ing) / infinitive | Verb (unchanged) |
| Verb as object | Infinitive | Gerund / infinitive | Verb (unchanged) |
| Relative nominalization | el que / lo que | the one who / what | verb + 的 |
| Possessive nominalization | el mío / lo mío | mine | pronoun + 的 |
| Formal abstraction | - | -ness / -ity | verb + 性 / 度 / 率 |
Examples
In Context
| Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|
| Lo importante es… | The important thing is… | 重要的是… |
| Lo que compré | What I bought | 我买的 |
| Nadar es saludable. | Swimming is healthy. | 游泳很健康。 |
Common mistakes
-
English speakers learning Spanish: Using gerund as subject: Nadando es bueno → Nadar es bueno
-
Spanish speakers learning English: Using infinitive as subject: To swim is good → Swimming is good (more natural)
-
English speakers learning Chinese: Omitting 的: 红 alone is not a noun phrase → 红的 is
-
Chinese speakers learning English: Using the + adjective for everything: the happy → happy people
Related topics
- Adjectives: How adjectives become nouns
- Relative Clauses: How relative structures nominalize
- Articles: How articles interact with nominalization
- Word Order: How nominalized phrases fit into sentences
Examples
The good (people/things)
los buenos
What is important
lo importante
To swim is fun
Nadar es divertido
I like his singing
Me gusta su manera de cantar
The one who came
el que vino
Eating too much is bad
Comer demasiado es malo
Examples
The good (people/things)
the good
What is important
the important thing / what is important
To swim is fun
Swimming is fun / To swim is fun
I like his singing
I like his singing
The one who came
the one who came / whoever came
Eating too much is bad
Eating too much is bad
Examples
The good (people/things)
好的
What is important
重要的
To swim is fun
游泳很有意思
I like his singing
我喜欢他唱的歌
The one who came
来的人
Eating too much is bad
吃太多不好
Comparison at a glance
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| The good (people/things) | los buenos | the good | 好的 |
| What is important | lo importante | the important thing / what is important | 重要的 |
| To swim is fun | Nadar es divertido | Swimming is fun / To swim is fun | 游泳很有意思 |
| I like his singing | Me gusta su manera de cantar | I like his singing | 我喜欢他唱的歌 |
| The one who came | el que vino | the one who came / whoever came | 来的人 |
| Eating too much is bad | Comer demasiado es malo | Eating too much is bad | 吃太多不好 |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Side-by-side comparison
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| The good (people/things) | los buenos | the good | 好的 |
| What is important | lo importante | the important thing / what is important | 重要的 |
| To swim is fun | Nadar es divertido | Swimming is fun / To swim is fun | 游泳很有意思 |
| I like his singing | Me gusta su manera de cantar | I like his singing | 我喜欢他唱的歌 |
| The one who came | el que vino | the one who came / whoever came | 来的人 |
| Eating too much is bad | Comer demasiado es malo | Eating too much is bad | 吃太多不好 |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Examples in context
The good (people/things)
Spanish
los buenos
English
the good
Chinese
好的
What is important
Spanish
lo importante
English
the important thing / what is important
Chinese
重要的
To swim is fun
Spanish
Nadar es divertido
English
Swimming is fun / To swim is fun
Chinese
游泳很有意思
I like his singing
Spanish
Me gusta su manera de cantar
English
I like his singing
Chinese
我喜欢他唱的歌
The one who came
Spanish
el que vino
English
the one who came / whoever came
Chinese
来的人
Eating too much is bad
Spanish
Comer demasiado es malo
English
Eating too much is bad
Chinese
吃太多不好
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Key Takeaways
Spanish: Uses lo + adjective for abstract quality, el/la + adjective for people, and infinitives freely as subjects. Relative clauses with que nomina.
English: Uses the + adjective for classes of people, -ing forms as gerunds, infinitives as subjects, and that/wh- clauses as noun clauses.
Chinese: Uses 的 as a universal nominalizer. Any modifier + 的 can stand as a noun phrase. No articles needed.
Key concepts compared: The good (people/things), What is important, To swim is fun.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Chinese 的 (de) called a 'universal nominalizer'?
How do English gerunds differ from Spanish infinitives in nominalization?
Why does Spanish use the article with adjectives when nominalizing while English sometimes does not?
References
- Nueva gramática de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, 2010
- The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language — Huddleston & Pullum, Cambridge University Press, 2002
- A Comprehensive Grammar of the Modern Chinese Language — Li & Thompson, 1981
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Last updated: June 4, 2026