Result complement "-wan" for finishing

Of all the result complements in Chinese, this one is one of the most satisfying to use, since it implies "finishing" something. On it's own, 完 (wán) means "to finish" or "complete." Using it in this grammar structure, it expresses the idea of doing the verb until you are complete.

Structure

As well as with 到 and 见, you can also form result complements with 完. This indicates that an action is finished or completed. The structure is:

Subject + Verb + 完 + 了 + Object

Examples

• 我 昨天晚上 看 完 了 那 本 书。I finished reading that book yesterday evening.
• 他 喝 完 了 一 瓶 啤酒 就去 睡觉了。He finished drinking a bottle of beer and went to bed.
• 记者 采访 完了 这位 著名的 女演员，然后 离开了酒店。 The journalist finished the interview with the famous actress and the left the hotel.

See also

• Result complements "dao" and "jian"
• Result complement "-cuo"
• Result complement "-hao"

Sources and further reading

Books

• A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 273 - 284) →buy
• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 97-9) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (pp. 42) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (pp. 86) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 152 - 153) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 87 - 88) →buy
• Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp, 186-187) →buy