Result complement

Also known as: 结果补语 (Jiēguǒ Bǔyǔ), complement of result, resultative complement and result compound.

Result complements, also known as "resultative complements" and "complements of result" in English, are called 结果补语 (literally, "result complement") in Chinese. Surprisingly enough, they're used to describe the result (or lack of) of a verb.

Why result complements are necessary in Chinese

In English, we have separate verbs to describe actions depending on their outcome. You can look, but not see, or listen, but not hear. In Chinese, verbs tend to be of the 'look' and 'listen' variety - the result isn't included like it is in 'see' and 'hear'. So if you want to indicate the result, you have to use a result complement.

Forming the result complement

Result complements form verbal compounds that behave exactly the same as normal verbs. The compound is formed by a verb plus another verb or an adjective:

Result complement examples

Verb	Result compound	Explanation
看	看见	看 alone means 'to look'. 看见 includes the result - 'to see'.
听	听到	Again, 听 alone means 'to listen', but 听到 means 'to hear'.
写	对	Write + correct ⇒ to write something correctly
学	会	Study + able ⇒ to master
洗	洗干净	Wash + clean ⇒ to wash something and make it clean

In each of the examples above, a compound verb has been created from a verb plus another verb or adjective. These compounds then behave exactly like other verbs. They can take objects, adverbs and be negated just like other verbs.

Negating result complements

As compound verbs formed by the result complement behave much the same as other verbs, you can easily negate them as normal using 不 or 没有.

Note that although there are many instances where using 不 with a result complement is grammatical, you don't see it as much as 没有 (remember that 不 negates verbs about the present or future, whereas 没有 is used for things in the past). This makes sense if you think about English verbs. You frequently come across things like "I didn't look" and "I'm not looking" (verbs without a result), but for verbs that include a result you tend to only come across past tense forms - "I didn't see." A sentence like "I'm not seeing" sounds unnatural in most contexts.

Result complement negation

Subject	Negative	RC compound verb	Object
我	没有	看见	你	。
他	不会	做完	他的作业	。
我	没有	认出来	你	。
你	没	吃完	饭	。
她	没有	考上	大学	。

Aspect particles with result complements

You can also use the aspect particles 了 and 过 with result complement compound verbs, just as you would with other verbs. 了 nearly always appears with result complements, as 了 marks completed actions, and as you'd expect a result complement is usually about a completed action.

Conversely, you can not use the particle 着 with result compounds, as this would be nonsensical. 着 indicates that an action is ongoing - it wouldn't make sense to describe the result of an ongoing action.

Result complements with aspect particles

Subject	RC compound verb	Aspect particle	Object
我	看见	了	你	。
我	看见	过	那 个 有名的 人	。
我	听见	过	这 个 声音	。
他	写错	了	这 个 汉字	。

The aspect particle comes after the result complement, as the compound can't be separated. It behaves as a single verb, and can't be divided into separate units.

Sources and further reading

Books

• 外国人实用汉语语法(中英文对照) (pp. 273 - 284)

Websites

• Mandarin Essential Grammar (Yale): The Complement of Result