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 (Topic-comment sentences):

Obj. + Subj. + Verb + 得 / 不 + [Complement]

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

Subj. + Obj. + Verb + 得 / 不 + [Complement]

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

Subj. + Verb + Obj. + Verb + 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

The following examples use all three structures, but all mean the same thing:

• 中文 他 说 得 很 好。Zhōngwén tā shuō de hěn hǎo.
• 他 中文 说 得 很 好。Tā Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo.
• 他 说 中文 说 得 很 好。Tā shuō Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo.All of these sentences mean "He speaks Chinese very well."

• 中国菜 他 做 得 很 好。Zhōngguó cài tā zuò de hěn hǎo.
• 他 中国菜 做 得 很 好。Tā Zhōngguó cài zuò de hěn hǎo.
• 他 做 中国菜 做 得 很 好。Tā zuò Zhōngguó cài zuò de hěn hǎo.All of these sentences mean "He makes Chinese food very well."

• 啤酒 她 喝 得 很 快。Píjiǔ tā hē de hěn kuài.
• 她 啤酒 喝 得 很 快。Tā píjiǔ hē de hěn kuài.
• 她 喝 啤酒 喝 得 很 快。Tā hē píjiǔ hē de hěn kuài.All of these sentences mean she drinks beer very quickly.

See also

• Descriptive complements
• Adjectival complement "de hen"
• Degree complement
• Complement

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