Result complements

结果补语在口语中十分常见，很多口语中常用的单音节形容词都可以做结果补语，如"好、错、饱、晚、醉"等，表示动作的结果。

One of the most often used result complements is 好 (hǎo). It implies that something is complete or done well. The other most often used result complements is 错 (cuò). It's used to express making mistakes.

Using Adjectives as Result Complement

Forming a result complement with 好 has a very similar meaning to forming one with 完. It expresses that the action has been completed successfully.

To express that an action resulted in an error, you can use a result complement with 错. This covers what is often expressed with the adverb "incorrectly" in English.

Structure

When using result complements, it's very common to make the object a topic. This means the object is said first and the subject is often omitted:

Obj. + Verb + Adj. + 了

Examples

• 我们 吃 好 了。Wǒmen chī hǎo le.We finished eating.
• 我 的 作业 做 好 了。Wǒ de zuòyè zuò hǎo le. I finished doing my homework.
• 这 个 字 写 错 了。Zhège zì xiě cuò le.You wrote this character wrong.
• 我 记 错 了。Wǒ jì cuò le.I remembered wrongly.
• 你 来 晚 了 。 Nǐ lái wǎn le. You came late.
• 我 吃 饱 了 。 Wǒ chī bǎo le. I'm full.
• 他 喝 醉 了 。 Tā hē zuì le. He's drunk.
• 大家 都 听 干净 了 吗 ？ Fángjiān nǐ dǎsǎo gānjìng le ma? Is your room all cleaned up?
• 房间 你 打扫 干净 了 吗 ？ Fángjiān nǐ dǎsǎo gānjìng le ma? Is your room all cleaned up?

Using One-syllable Verb as Result Complement

除了一些单音节形容词和双音节形容词可以做结果补语，少量单音节动词也可以做结果补语。如"见、懂、走、哭、掉、倒"等，这类动词非常有限。

Examples

• 老师 拿 走 了 我 的 iPad 。 Lǎoshī ná zǒu le wǒ de iPad. The teacher took away my iPad.
• 小偷 偷 走 了 我 的钱包 。 Xiǎotōu tōu zǒu le wǒ de qiánbāo. The thief stole my wallet.
• 妹妹 吓 哭 了 。 Mèimei xià kū le. My little sister was so scared that she cried.
• 请 关 掉 手机 。 Qǐng guān diào shǒujī. Please turn off your phone.
• 这些 照片 都 可以 删 掉 。 Zhèxiē zhàopiàn dōu kěyǐ shān diào. You can delete these pictures.
• 他 推 倒 了 一 个 老人 。 Tā tuī dǎo le yī gè lǎorén. He pushed down an old man.

See also

As with all result complements, the -好 result complement works particularly well in a 把 sentence.

Sources and further reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 43- 4) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 233-4) →buy