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 its 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 (dào) and 见 (jiàn), you can also form result complements with 完 (wán). This indicates that an action is finished or completed.

Subj. + Verb + 完 + Obj.

Examples

• 我 说 完 了 。 Wǒ shuō wán le. I am finished talking.
• 你 吃 完 了 吗 ？ Nǐ chī wán le ma? Are you done eating?
• 你 做 完 以后，就 可以 下班 了 。 Nǐ zuò wán yǐhòu, jiù kěyǐ xiàbān le. After you finish doing it, you can get off work.
• 这 些 作业，你 今天 可以 做 完 吗？Zhè xiē zuòyè, nǐ jīntiān kěyǐ zuò wán ma? Can you finish doing these homework today?
• 你 什么时候 可以 看 完 这 本 书？ Nǐ shénme shíhou kěyǐ kàn wán zhè běn shū? When can you be done reading this book?
• 我 想 看 完 电影 再 回家。Wǒ xiǎng kàn wán diànyǐng zài huíjiā. I want to finish watching the movie and then go back to home.
• 妈妈 洗 完 衣服 以后 就 去 做 晚饭 了。 Māmā xǐ wán yīfu yǐhòu jiù qù zuò wǎnfàn le. After mom finished washing clothes, she went to cook dinner.
• 做 完 这 些 作业 需要 两 个 小时 。 Zuò wán zhè xiē zuòyè xūyào liǎng gè xiǎoshí. To finish the homework,you need two hours.
• 看 完 以后 告诉 我 。 Kàn wán yǐhòu gàosu wǒ. Tell me when you have finished watching.
• 我们 学 完 了 一百 个 词 。 Wǒmen xué wán le yībǎi ge cí. We finished learning 100 words.

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 (wán le) to emphasize that you completed the action: "watch the movie (till the end)" or "eat (all my) supper."

• 我 完 了 电影。(In Chinese we need to know: did you watch the movie, or make the movie?)Wǒ wán le diànyǐng.
• 我 看 完 了 电影 。Tell us that you watched it till the end.Wǒ kàn wán le diànyǐng.I finished watching the movie.

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. 273-84) →buy
• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 97-9) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (p. 42) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (p. 86) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 152-3) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 87-8) →buy
• Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp. 186-7) →buy