Modifying nouns with phrase + 的 We were discussing this topic in the class yesterday and had a few difficulties understanding it. The main problem was to understand when the sentence / phrase is referred to a regular action or to the action in the past. Could this be figured out without additional time markers?

For example, from these sentences: 
去北京的火车 or 妈妈做的菜
Modifying nouns with phrase + 的


A [phrase + 'adjective suffix 的'] is an 'adjective phrase'. It functions as an adjective for the noun. If there is a [clause +'adjective suffix 的'], then it is an 'adjective clause'

的 can also be a 'possessive' but that's another topic.


  The main problem was to understand when the sentence / phrase is referred to a regular action or to the action in the past.  Could this be figured out without additional time markers?


May be this can help: How do you specify past tense for 是?

So, the answer is, " no, you can't figure out the action is in the past or present without additional time markers, but you don't need to"