How to Say “Plenty of” with 有的是 (yǒudeshì)
有的是 (yǒudeshì) is an emphatic idiom for “have plenty of / no shortage of”: Subject + 有的是 + Noun. 他有的是钱 (“he’s got money to spare”), 我们有的是时间 (“we’ve got loads of time”). It often carries a boastful or reassuring, sometimes exaggerating tone. Two things to know: it’s a frozen unit (not 有的 “some” + 是), and it has no negative form, so for “not much” you switch to 没有很多.
Why this trips learners up
有的是 (yǒudeshì) is a punchy, colloquial way to say you have “plenty of” or “no shortage of” something. The core pattern is Subject + 有的是 + Noun: 他有的是钱 (“he’s got money to spare”), 我们有的是时间 (“we’ve got all the time in the world”), 他年轻，有的是精力 (“he’s young, he’s got tons of energy”). The tone is emphatic, often a little boastful or reassuring, and sometimes frankly exaggerated.
You can also front the noun as a topic and push 有的是 to the end: Noun + Subject + 有的是. 这样的机会以后有的是 (“there’ll be no shortage of chances like this later”), 会做饭的人有的是 (“there’s no shortage of people who can cook”). Same meaning, just a different word order, and it’s very common in speech.
Here’s the trap the whole pattern hinges on: 有的是 is one frozen unit, not 有的 (“some”) + 是 (“to be”). 他有的是钱 means “he has loads of money,” but 这些钱有的是假的 (有的 + 是) means “some of this money is fake.” Same three characters, completely different meanings. Tell them apart by the job: the idiom brags about how much of a noun there is; 有的 + 是 sorts a known group and says some of them are such-and-such.
One more rule that surprises learners: 有的是 can’t be negated. There’s no 不有的是 or 没有的是. It’s a positive-only idiom, so when you want the opposite you drop it entirely and use 没有很多: 我没有很多钱 (“I don’t have much money”). And because it means an abundance, it clashes with a specific, countable amount; you’d never pair it with 一支 or 三个, so save it for “loads,” not “three.”
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
tā jiā 他家 Subject yǒudeshì 有的是 Pattern fángzi 房子 Object yí gè rén ，一个人 Subject zhù sān tào 住三套 Verb
His family has no shortage of houses, one person lives in three of them (Subject + 有的是 + Noun).
wǒmen 我们 Subject yǒudeshì 有的是 Pattern shíjiān 时间 Object búyòng ，不用 Adverb zháojí 着急 Verb
We’ve got plenty of time, no need to rush (有的是时间).
zhèyàng de jīhuì 这样的机会 Object yǐhòu 以后 Time yǒudeshì 有的是 Pattern bié huīxīn ，别灰心 Verb
There’ll be no shortage of chances like this later, don’t lose heart (机会 fronted, 有的是 at the end).
bié nánguò 别难过 Verb hǎo gōngzuò ，好工作 Object yǒudeshì 有的是 Pattern zhè jiā bùxíng ，这家不行 Other jiù huàn yì jiā 就换一家 Verb
Don’t be upset, there are plenty of good jobs, if this one’s no good just switch (a reassuring 有的是).
zhè zhǒng jìniànpǐn 这种纪念品 Object lǚyóu qū lǐ ，旅游区里 Place yǒudeshì 有的是 Pattern bié zài jīchǎng mǎi ，别在机场买 Verb
This kind of souvenir, there’s tons of it in the tourist areas, don’t buy it at the airport (a place has plenty).
tā 他 Subject niánqīng 年轻 Adjective yǒudeshì ，有的是 Pattern jīnglì 精力 Object áoyè tōngxiāo ，熬夜通宵 Verb dōu méi wèntí 都没问题 Other
He’s young, he’s got tons of energy, pulling an all-nighter is no problem (有的是精力).
nǐ yǐwéi jiù nǐ huì zuòfàn? 你以为就你会做饭？ Other huì zuòfàn de rén 会做饭的人 Object yǒudeshì 有的是 Pattern
You think you’re the only one who can cook? There’s no shortage of people who can (a dismissive 有的是).
zhè diǎn xiǎo qián duì tā lái shuō bú suàn shénme 这点小钱对他来说不算什么 Other tā ，他 Subject yǒudeshì 有的是 Pattern bànfǎ 办法 Object zài zhuàn huílái 再赚回来 Verb
This bit of money is nothing to him, he’s got no shortage of ways to earn it back (有的是办法, in a longer sentence).
Common mistakes
Why it happens: 有的是 has no negative form, no 不有的是 or 没有的是. For the opposite, drop it and use 没有很多: 我没有很多钱 (“I don’t have much money”).
Why it happens: 有的是 already means “plenty of,” so don’t stack 很多 on top: it’s 他有的是钱 or 他有很多钱, never 他有的是很多钱. One or the other.
Why it happens: 有的是 means an abundance, so it clashes with a specific, countable amount. “I have one pen” is a plain 我有一支笔, not 我有的是一支笔. Save 有的是 for “loads,” not for counting.
Compare & contrast
| 有的是 (one frozen idiom = “plenty of”) | 有的 + 是 (“some … are …”) | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 他有的是钱。tā yǒudeshì qián = “he has money to spare” (the idiom) | 这些钱有的是假的。zhèxiē qián yǒude shì jiǎ de = “some of this money is fake” (有的 + 是) | 他有的是钱 is the idiom, “he has money to spare.” 这些钱有的是假的 is 有的 (“some”) + 是 (“are”), “some of this money is fake.” Same characters, opposite jobs. |
| 我有的是力气。wǒ yǒudeshì lìqi = “I’ve got tons of energy” (abundance) | 这些书有的是我的。zhèxiē shū yǒude shì wǒ de = “some of these books are mine” (some + are) | 我有的是力气 = “I’ve got tons of energy” (an abundance). 这些书有的是我的 = “some of these books are mine” (有的 + 是, sorting a group). A plain noun of stuff versus 是 + a description tells you which. |
Try it yourself
Say “He’s got no shortage of ideas.” Subject + 有的是 + Noun: 他有的是办法。
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Say “Plenty of” with 有的是 (yǒudeshì) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.