State complement

Also known as: 状态补语 (zhuàngtài bǔyǔ), 情态补语 (qíngtài bǔyǔ) and complement of state.

State complements describe an achieved state of an action. State complements are usually adjective phrases (adverb + adjective) but can take the form of verbal phrases, subject-predicate phrase or other complements. State complements that are adjective phrases often look the same as degree complements and thus often lumped together with degree complements in textbooks. However, often state complements take a very distinct form of complement (such as entire verb phrases that serve as state complements) which is why they are sometimes categorized as a distinct form of complement. State complement phrases can be quite complex, at times having entire complement phrases act as the state complement. It may be useful to think of more complex complement phrases as meaning "(verb) to the point of (complement)."

Adjective Phrases as State Complements

In a state complement phrase, the verb must be followed by 得, and then the complement follows. The most common type of state complement, where the complement is an adjective phrase, is formed by placing the adjective phrase after 得.

Structure

Subject + Verb + 得 + Complement

Examples

她来 得很晚 。
他们玩 得很快乐 。
马先生睡 得不好 。

If the verb taking a complement also has an object, you can repeat the verb: once for the object, then once for the complement:

她来校园来 得很晚 了。
我写汉字写 得很慢 。

Verb Phrases and other Complements as State Complements

Verb phrases (VP), subject-predicate phrases (SP) and other complements can also serve as complements of state. As with adjective phrase state complements, they can describe a state that arose from the action of the main verb in the sentence. Some examples:

这件房间满 得放不下其他东西 了。 (This example uses a potential complement phrase to express that state of the room.)This room is filled to the point that you are unable to fit more stuff.
他们唱歌唱 得忘了时间 。 (Here the state complement is a verb phrase and expresses the state to which the subject got caught up in their singing activities (probably at KTV).)They sang to the point where they lost track of time.
我的姐姐吃饭吃 得满嘴流油 。(This state complement is also a verb phrase and expresses the resulting state of the subject's eating.)My big sister ate to the point that her mouth was flowing with oil.
太太激动 得热血沸腾 。(The state complement in this example is an idiomatic phrase that describes the state of anger the subject has arrived at.)The wife was agitated to point of burning rage.