Difference between revisions of "Adjectival complement "de budeliao""

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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
得不得了 (de bùdéliǎo) can be used as a complement to suggest a situation is serious, or is likely to result in perhaps terrible consequences. It can be used in a positive sense, such as in English when we say "I'm terribly happy."
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Used by itself, 不得了 (bùdéliǎo) means "terrible" or "awful." But as a [[complement]], -得不得了 (de bùdéliǎo) can be used to suggest a situation is serious or may result in terrible consequences. It can also be used in a positive sense, such as in English when we say "I'm terribly happy."
  
 
== Structure ==
 
== Structure ==
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
 +
Adj. + 得不得了
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</div>
  
Adj. +  得不得了
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== Examples ==
  
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<div class="liju">
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* 爸爸 <strong>气</strong> <em>得 不得了</em>,你 要 倒霉 啦。<span class="pinyin">Bàba <strong>qì</strong> <em>de bùdéliǎo</em>, nǐ yào dǎoméi la.</span><span class="trans">Dad is super angry. You're in for it.</span>
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* 她的 妈妈 刚 去世, 她 <strong>难过</strong> <em>得 不得了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Tā de māma gāng qùshì, tā <strong>nánguò</strong> <em>de bùdéliǎo</em>.</span><span class="trans">Her mom just passed away, so she is extremely upset.</span>
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* 今天 <strong>冷</strong> <em>得 不得了</em>,怎么 会 这么 冷?<span class="pinyin">Jīntiān <strong>lěng</strong> <em>de bùdéliǎo</em>, zěnme huì zhème lěng?</span><span class="trans">It's terribly cold today! How can it be this cold?</span>
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* 最近 有 很 多 项目,<strong>忙</strong> <em>得 不得了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zuìjìn yǒu hěn duō xiàngmù, <strong>máng</strong> <em>de bùdéliǎo</em>.</span><span class="trans">There are so many projects lately. We're crazy busy.</span>
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* 升职 的 事情 让 他 <strong>高兴</strong> <em>得 不得了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Shēngzhí de shìqing ràng tā <strong>gāoxìng</strong> <em>de bùdéliǎo</em>.</span><span class="trans">Getting promoted made him extremely happy.</span>
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* 他 跟 老总 的 关系 <strong>好</strong> <em>得 不得了</em>,你 一定 要 小心!<span class="pinyin">Tā gēn lǎozǒng de guānxì <strong>hǎo</strong> <em>de bùdéliǎo</em>, nǐ yīdìng yào xiǎoxīn!</span><span class="trans">He has a really good relationship with the big boss. You need to be careful!</span>
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* 他 现在 <strong>火</strong> <em>得 不得了</em>,每个人 都 知道 他 。<span class="pinyin">Tā xiànzài <strong>huǒ</strong> <em>de bùdéliǎo</em>, měi gè rén dōu zhīdào tā.</span><span class="trans">He's terribly hot right now. Everyone knows him.</span>
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* 现在 车 太 多 ,路上 <strong>堵</strong> <em>得 不得了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Xiànzài chē tài duō, lùshang <strong>dǔ</strong> <em>de bùdéliǎo</em></span><span class="trans">There are too many cars nowadays, so traffic is terrible.</span>
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* 自从 她 说 要 给 我 一个 礼物 ,我 <strong>好奇</strong> <em>得 不得了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zìcóng tā shuō yào gěi wǒ yī gè lǐwù, wǒ <strong>hàoqí</strong> <em>de bùdéliǎo</em>.</span><span class="trans">Ever since she said she wanted to give me a gift I've been terribly curious.</span>
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* 这 件 衣服 ,我 <strong>喜欢</strong> <em>得 不得了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhè jiàn yīfu, wǒ xǐhuan <em>de bùdéliǎo</em>.</span><span class="trans">I absolutely love these clothes.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
== Examples ==
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As with many other grammar patterns, -得不得了 works with both adjectives and [[psychological verb]]s.
  
<div class="liju">
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== 得不得了 vs. 不得不 ==
  
* 升职 的 事情 让 他 高兴<em> 得 不得了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Shēng zhí de shìqíng ràng tā gāoxìng <em>dé bùdéle</em>.</span><span class="trans">The fact that he got promoted made him extremely happy.</span>
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A word to the wise: don't confuse 得不得了 (de bùdéliǎo) with [[Expressing "have to" with "budebu"|不得不 (bùdébù)]].
* 嗨,他 跟 老总 的 关系 好 <em>得 不得了</em>,你 一定 要 小心!<span class="pinyin">Hāi, tā gēn lǎozǒng de guānxì hǎo <em>dé bùdéle</em>, nǐ yīdìng yào xiǎoxīn!</span><span class="trans">The relationship between him and the chief officer is really good, you need to be careful!</span>
 
* 爸爸 气 <em> 得 不得了</em>,你 要 倒霉 啦。<span class="pinyin">Bàba qì <em>dé bùdéle</em>, nǐ yào dǎoméi la.</span><span class="trans">Dad is super angry. You're going to be unlucky.</span>
 
* 她的妈妈刚去世, 她难过<em> 得 不得了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Tā de māmā gāng qùshì, tā nánguò <em>dé bùdéle</em>.</span><span class="trans">Her mom just passed away, she is extremely sad.</span>
 
* 今天 冷<em> 得 不得了</em>,怎么 会 这么 冷?
 
* 最近 有 很多 项目,忙<em> 得 不得了</em>。
 
* 他 现在 火<em> 得 不得了</em>,每个人 都 知道 他。
 
* 现在 车 太 多 ,路上 堵<em> 得 不得了</em>。
 
* 自从 她 说 要 给 我 一个 礼物,我 好奇<em> 得 不得了</em>。
 
* 这 件 衣服,我 喜欢<em> 得 不得了</em>。
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
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{{Similar|Negative adjectives with "-si le"}}
 
{{Similar|Negative adjectives with "-si le"}}
 
{{Similar|Descriptive complements}}
 
{{Similar|Descriptive complements}}
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{{Similar|Degree complement}}
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{{Similar|Advanced degree complements}}
 
{{POS|Adjectives}}
 
{{POS|Adjectives}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing degree}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing degree}}

Latest revision as of 07:35, 17 December 2020

Used by itself, 不得了 (bùdéliǎo) means "terrible" or "awful." But as a complement, -得不得了 (de bùdéliǎo) can be used to suggest a situation is serious or may result in terrible consequences. It can also be used in a positive sense, such as in English when we say "I'm terribly happy."

Structure

Adj. + 得不得了

Examples

  • 爸爸 得 不得了,你 要 倒霉 啦。Bàba de bùdéliǎo, nǐ yào dǎoméi la.Dad is super angry. You're in for it.
  • 她的 妈妈 刚 去世, 她 难过 得 不得了Tā de māma gāng qùshì, tā nánguò de bùdéliǎo.Her mom just passed away, so she is extremely upset.
  • 今天 得 不得了,怎么 会 这么 冷?Jīntiān lěng de bùdéliǎo, zěnme huì zhème lěng?It's terribly cold today! How can it be this cold?
  • 最近 有 很 多 项目, 得 不得了Zuìjìn yǒu hěn duō xiàngmù, máng de bùdéliǎo.There are so many projects lately. We're crazy busy.
  • 升职 的 事情 让 他 高兴 得 不得了Shēngzhí de shìqing ràng tā gāoxìng de bùdéliǎo.Getting promoted made him extremely happy.
  • 他 跟 老总 的 关系 得 不得了,你 一定 要 小心!Tā gēn lǎozǒng de guānxì hǎo de bùdéliǎo, nǐ yīdìng yào xiǎoxīn!He has a really good relationship with the big boss. You need to be careful!
  • 他 现在 得 不得了,每个人 都 知道 他 。Tā xiànzài huǒ de bùdéliǎo, měi gè rén dōu zhīdào tā.He's terribly hot right now. Everyone knows him.
  • 现在 车 太 多 ,路上 得 不得了Xiànzài chē tài duō, lùshang de bùdéliǎoThere are too many cars nowadays, so traffic is terrible.
  • 自从 她 说 要 给 我 一个 礼物 ,我 好奇 得 不得了Zìcóng tā shuō yào gěi wǒ yī gè lǐwù, wǒ hàoqí de bùdéliǎo.Ever since she said she wanted to give me a gift I've been terribly curious.
  • 这 件 衣服 ,我 喜欢 得 不得了Zhè jiàn yīfu, wǒ xǐhuan de bùdéliǎo.I absolutely love these clothes.

As with many other grammar patterns, -得不得了 works with both adjectives and psychological verbs.

得不得了 vs. 不得不

A word to the wise: don't confuse 得不得了 (de bùdéliǎo) with 不得不 (bùdébù).

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK5