Potential complements

Verbs can take potential complements that indicate whether or not the action is actually possible. They are useful in Chinese to say if an action can take place.

Positive Pattern

Structurally, potential complements are closely related to both result complements and direction complements, so it helps to be familiar with those first. The most important and commonly used potential complements are derived from other complements such as the following:

• Verb + 见 e.g. 看见, 听见 (result complements)
• Verb + 懂 e.g. 看懂, 听懂 (result complements)
• Verb + 完 e.g. 吃完, 做完, 用完, 花完 (result complements)
• Verb + Adj. e.g. 看清楚, 听明白, 洗干净 (result complements)
• Verb + 到 e.g. 找到, 买到, 收到 (result complements)
• Verb + Direction e.g. 上来, 下去, 进去, 起来, 走过去, 爬上去 (direction complements)

Potential complements can be positive or negative. What this means is fairly intuitive - potential complements can be used to express that something can happen or that it can't.

Structure

Verb + 得 + [Complement]

Examples

• 他 一个人 吃 得 完 这么 多 饭 吗 ？Tā yīgèrén chī de wán zhème duō fàn ma? Can he eat all the food by himself?
• 我 找 不 到 我 的 手机 了 。Wǒ zhǎo bu dào wǒ de shǒujī le.I can't find my cellphone.
• 在 上海 买 得 到 这 个 牌子 的 手表 吗 ？Zài Shànghǎi mǎi de dào zhè gè páizi de shǒubiǎo ma? Can you buy this brand of watch in Shanghai?
• 早上 五点 出发 ， 孩子们 起 得 来 吗 ？ Zǎoshang wǔdiǎn chūfā, háizi men qǐ de lái ma? We're leaving at five a.m. Will the kids be able to get up this early?
• 这么 高 的 山 ，你 爬 得 上去 吗 ？Zhème gāo de shān, nǐ pá de shàngqù ma? The mountain is so high. Can you make it to the top?

Negative Pattern

Structure

Verb + 不 + [Complement]

Examples

• 大家 都 看 不 懂 这 句 话 。Dàjiā dōu kàn bu dǒng zhè jù huà.Nobody can understand this sentence.
• 你 的 声音 太 小 了 ，我们 听 不 见 。Nǐ de shēngyīn tài xiǎo le, wǒmen tīng bu jiàn.Your voice is too low. We can't heat you.
• 我 没 戴 眼镜 ，看 不 清楚 。Wǒ méi dài yǎnjìng, kàn bu qīngchu.I don't wear glasses. I can't see it clearly.
• 这 件 衬衫 太 脏 了 ，我 洗 不 干净 。Zhè jiàn chènshān tài zāng le, wǒ xǐ bu gānjìng.This shirt is too dirty. I washed it but it can't come clean.
• 门 太 小 了 ，我 的 车 进 不 去 。Mén tài xiǎo le, wǒ de chē jìn bu qù.The door is too small. My car can't get in.

Sources and and further reading

Books

• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 71) →buy
• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 191) →buy
• Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (pp. 197) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (pp. 291) →buy
• Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp. 125) →buy
• Contemporary Chinese 2 (当代中文2) (pp. 63) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 99) →buy

Websites

Yale

• The Potential Complement
• Potential Complement And Degree Complement In Contrast

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