Complement "-huai le"

The degree complement -坏了 (-huài le) is a bit like the complement -死了, and can be used to mean "extremely" in both a a positive and a negative sense.

Structure

Verb + 坏了

Examples with a Negative Connotation

• 一天 没 吃饭 ，孩子 饿 坏了 。The child didn't eat anything the whole day. He was starved to death.
• 孩子 不见 了，妈妈 急 坏了 。The child is missing. The mother is worried to death.
• 今天 一天 都 在 开会，大家 都 累 坏了 了 。We've been at the meeting whole day today. Everyone is exhausted.
• 那 部 鬼片 把 我 吓 坏了 。That ghost film scared me to death.
• 这 件 事 把 老板 气 坏了 。That matter made the boss angry to death.

Examples with a Positive Connotation

这类形容词非常有限。

• 听到 这个 好 消息 ，大家 都 高兴 坏了。Everyone were thrilled to hear the good news.
• 这个 笑话 让 我们 都 乐 坏了 。We really got a kick out of this joke.
• 收到 录取 通知书 ，他们 全家 都 高兴 坏了 。His whole family were so thrilled when he received the admission letter.

See also

• Adjectives with "-ji le"
• Negative adjectives with "-si le"
• Resultative Complement "kai"

Sources and further reading

Books

• New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 104) →buy

HSK5