Using objects with complements

Using complements is one of the cool features of Chinese. Since they may be entirely new for Chinese learners, using them can be confusing.

Basic Patterns

The grammar for using an object with a complement is a little bit tricky. There are three different ways to arrange this sentence.

The first puts the object before everything else (a topicalized sentence):

Object + Subject + Verb + 得 / 不 + [complement]

The second structure is to to insert the object right after the subject, followed by everything else:

Subject + Object + Verb + 得 / 不 + [complement]

And the third is to repeat the verb after the object, and follow it with the complement:

Subject + Verb + Object + Verb again + 得 / 不 + [complement]

This can seem very complicated at first. You only need to know about all three structures for listening comprehension, and can just use one when speaking. Also, the complement itself is the same in all three structures, so this is the part to listen out for.

Examples

Some examples of sentences in all three structures:

• 中文 他 说 得 很 好。
• 他 中文 说 得 很 好。
• 他 说 中文 说 得 很 好。

• 中国菜 他 做 得 很 好。
• 他 中国菜 做 得 很 好。
• 他 做 中国菜 做 得 很 好。

• 啤酒 她 喝 得 很 快。
• 她 啤酒 喝 得 很 快。
• 她 喝 啤酒 喝 得 很 快。

See also

• Descriptive complements
• Adjectival Complement "de hen"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 71-2) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (pp. 179-80) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 302-4) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 15-6) →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

HSK4

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