Difference between revisions of "Result complement "-wan" for finishing"

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* 你 什么时候 可以 用 <em>完</em> 电脑?<span class="trans">When are you going to be done using the computer?</span>
 
* 你 什么时候 可以 用 <em>完</em> 电脑?<span class="trans">When are you going to be done using the computer?</span>
 
* 我 今天 要 做 <em>完</em> 这些 事。<span class="trans">I want to finish these things today. (Note that 些 means we are talking about more than one thing.)</span>
 
* 我 今天 要 做 <em>完</em> 这些 事。<span class="trans">I want to finish these things today. (Note that 些 means we are talking about more than one thing.)</span>
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In English we say "I finished the movie," or "I finished supper," but in Chinese you should explicitly use the verb implied in English along with 完了 to emphasize that you completed the action: "watch the movie (till the end)" or "eat (all my) supper."
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<li class="x">我 <strong>完了</strong> 电影。<span class="expl">In Chinese we need to know, did you <em>watch</em> the movie, or <em>make</em> the movie?</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>wánle</strong> diànyǐng.</span></li>
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<li class="o">我 <strong>看完了</strong> 那部电影。<span class="expl">Tell us that you watched it till the end.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>kànwánle</strong> nàbù diànyǐng.</span><span class="trans">I finished watching the movie.</span></li>
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Revision as of 14:32, 30 April 2014

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 + Object

Examples

  • 我 说 了。I am finished talking.
  • 了 吗?Are you done eating?
  • 你 为什么 不 喝 这 杯 酒?Why are you not drinking up that glass of wine?
  • 你 没有 吃 你 的 水果。You haven't finished eating all of your fruit.
  • 我 昨天 晚上 看 了 那 本 书。I finished reading this book yesterday evening.
  • 这 些 作业 需要 两 个 小时。You will need two hours to finish the homework.
  • 以后 告诉 我。Tell me when you have finished watching.
  • 我们 学 了 100 个词。We studied 100 characters.
  • 你 什么时候 可以 用 电脑?When are you going to be done using the computer?
  • 我 今天 要 做 这些 事。I want to finish these things today. (Note that 些 means we are talking about more than one thing.)


In English we say "I finished the movie," or "I finished supper," but in Chinese you should explicitly use the verb implied in English along with 完了 to emphasize that you completed the action: "watch the movie (till the end)" or "eat (all my) supper."

  • 完了 电影。In Chinese we need to know, did you watch the movie, or make the movie?wánle diànyǐng.
  • 看完了 那部电影。Tell us that you watched it till the end.kànwánle nàbù diànyǐng.I finished watching the movie.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books