Potential complement
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- Also known as: 可能补语 (kěnéngbǔyǔ) and complements of potentiality .
Potential complements are used to express the possibility to achieve a result. For affirmative potential complements 得 is placed between the action verb and the complement. For negative potential complements 不 is placed between the action verb and complement. The structure of the potential form is:
V + 得/不 + complement
Putting 得 or 不 between an action verb and a resultative or directional complement changes it to a potential complement. Potential forms most commonly occur in negative statements. Affirmative statements using the potential form are uncommon, usually they occur as answers to questions.
