Result complements

结果补语十分常见，一些口语中常用的形容词和单音节动词都可以做结果补语。

Using Adjectives

好 (hǎo): It implies that something is complete or done well. 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.

错 (cuò): It's used to express making mistakes. 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.

其他常见的做补语的形容词：晚、饱、坏、破、清楚、明白、干净。

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:

Verb + Adj. + 了

没 + Verb + Adj.

Examples

• 我们 吃 好 了 。Wǒmen chī hǎo le.We finished eating.
• 作业 做 好 了 吗 ？Zuòyè zuò hǎo le ma ? Did you finish doing your homework?
• 这 个 字 写 错 了。Zhège zì xiě cuò le.You wrote this character wrong.
• 我 没 记 错 。Wǒ méi jì cuò.I didn't remember incorrectly.
• 你们 来 晚 了 。Nǐmen lái wǎn le.You came late.
• 你 没 吃 饱 吗 ？Nǐ méi chī bǎo ma?Are you not full?
• 弟弟 玩 坏 了 哥哥 的 玩具 。 Dìdi wán huài le gēge de wánjù.The little brother broke his older brother's toy.
• 宝宝 的 头 是 怎么 撞 破 的 ？Bǎobǎo de tóu shì zěnme zhuàng pò de?How did the baby hit his head?
• 杯子 是 谁 摔 坏 的 ？Bēizi shì shéi shuāi huài de?Who broke the cup?
• 大家 都 听 清楚 了 吗 ？ Dàjiā dōu tīng qīngchu le ma?Does everyone hear this clearly?
• 房间 打扫 干净 了 吗 ？Fángjiān nǐ dǎsǎo gānjìng le ma?Is your room all cleaned up?
• 衣服 没 洗 干净 。Yīfu méi gānjìng.The clothes aren't clean.

Using One-syllable Verb

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、掉"等，这类动词非常有限。

要注意的是："掉"有"离开、分离"的意义，跟"掉"搭配的动词也必须有"离开、分离"的意义。

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.
• 不要 了，扔掉 吧 。Bù yào le, rēng diào bā.I don't want it any more. Throw it away.
• 太 热 了 ，外套 脱 掉 吧 。 Tài rè le, wàitào tuō diào bā.It‘s too hot. Let's take off our jackets.
• 我 刚刚 卖 掉 了 我 的 旧 手机 。Wǒ gānggāng mài diào le wǒ de jiù shǒujī.I just sold my old cell phone.

Compared with Potential Complements

Result and Potential Complements

Result Complement	Directional Complement	Aff. Potential Complement	Neg. Potential Complement
做 完		做 得 完	做 不 完
听 懂		听 得 懂	听 不 懂
看 清楚		看 得 清楚	看 不 清楚
洗 干净		洗 得 干净	洗 不 干净

See also

All result complements work 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