Difference between revisions of "Potential complement "bu dong""

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{{Structure|Complements}}
 
{{Structure|Complements}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing impossibility}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing impossibility}}
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{{Subprop|Potential complement}}

Revision as of 03:17, 4 July 2012

Structure

The potential complement 不动 is used to express lack of physical ability to do something. This can be used not only with actions like walking, running or climbing, but even actions like eating and chewing.

It is used like this:

Subject + physical action + 不动

Examples

  • 我 走 不动 了,得 休息 一下!
  • 等 等 我,我 爬 不动 了!
  • 这个 牛排 根本 咬不动
  • 那 架 钢琴 很 重,他 肯定 搬不动


Some less common examples (may depend on which region a speaker of China is from):

  • 我 太 饱 了 , 吃不动 了!
  • 葛修远 已经 喝了 十瓶 啤酒 了,喝不动了!

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

  1. Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (1st ed) (pp. 203)
HSK4