Literary 之 (= 的)

Structure Modifier + 之 + head noun

之 (zhī) is the literary genitive of Classical Chinese that replaces 的 in essayistic prose and in four-character set phrases: 人生之意义 "the meaning of life", 百年之大计 "a plan for the century". Unlike 的 (HSK 1), which is free and ubiquitous in everyday speech, 之 is fossilized: it lives in fixed collocations, headlines and elevated written register, and would not appear in ordinary conversation. It links a modifier to its head exactly as 的 does, but lends a concise, literary stamp.

Examples

教jiào育yù是shì国guó家jiā百bǎi年nián之zhī大dà计jì。
Education is a nation's plan for the century.
我wǒ们men必bì须xū重chóng新xīn思sī考kǎo人rén生shēng之zhī意yì义yì。
We must rethink the meaning of life.
这zhè是shì关guān乎hū企qǐ业yè存cún亡wáng之zhī关guān键jiàn。
This is the key factor on which the firm's survival hinges.
赤chì子zǐ之zhī心xīn是shì最zuì难nán得dé的de。
A childlike, innocent heart is the rarest of things.

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