Adjectival complement "de budeliao"

得不得了 (de bùdéliǎo) can be used as a complement to suggest a situation is serious, or is likely to result in perhaps terrible consequences. It can be used in a positive sense, like in English when we say "I'm terribly happy".

Structure

Adjective + 得不得了

Examples

• 升职 的 事情 让 他 高兴 得 不得了。
• 嗨，他 跟 老总 的 关系 好 得 不得了，你 一定 要 小心！
• 爸爸 气 得 不得了，你 要 倒霉 啦。
• 她的妈妈刚去世， 她难过 得 不得了。

See also

• Adjectival Complement "de hen"
• Descriptive Complements
• Negative adjectives with "-si le"
• Positive adjectives with "-ji le"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Boya Chinese Lower Intermediate 2 (博雅汉语准中级加速篇) (pp. 134-5)→buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 5 (新实用汉语课本5) (pp. 53)→buy

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