Difference between revisions of "Potential complements"

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*大家 都 看 <em>不</em> 懂 这 句 话 。<span class="pinyin">Dàjiā dōu kàn <em>bu</em> dǒng zhè jù huà.</span><span class="trans">Nobody can understand this sentence.</span>
 
*大家 都 看 <em>不</em> 懂 这 句 话 。<span class="pinyin">Dàjiā dōu kàn <em>bu</em> dǒng zhè jù huà.</span><span class="trans">Nobody can understand this sentence.</span>
*你 的 声音 太 小 了 ,我们 听 <em>不</em> 见 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ de shēngyīn tài xiǎo le, wǒmen tīng <em>bu</em> jiàn.</span><span class="trans">Your voice is too low. We can't heat you.</span>
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*你 的 声音 太 小 了 ,我们 听 <em>不</em> 见 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ de shēngyīn tài xiǎo le, wǒmen tīng <em>bu</em> jiàn.</span><span class="trans">Your voice is too soft. We can't hear you.</span>
*我 没 戴 眼镜 ,看 <em>不</em> 清楚 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi dài yǎnjìng, kàn <em>bu</em> qīngchu.</span><span class="trans">I don't wear glasses. I can't see it clearly.</span>
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*我 没 戴 眼镜 ,看 <em>不</em> 清楚 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi dài yǎnjìng, kàn <em>bu</em> qīngchu.</span><span class="trans">When I don't wear glasses, I can't see clearly.</span>
*这 件 衬衫 太 脏 了 ,我 洗 <em>不</em> 干净 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè jiàn chènshān tài zāng le, wǒ xǐ <em>bu</em> gānjìng.</span><span class="trans">This shirt is too dirty. I washed it but it can't come clean.</span>
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*这 件 衬衫 太 脏 了 ,我 洗 <em>不</em> 干净 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè jiàn chènshān tài zāng le, wǒ xǐ <em>bu</em> gānjìng.</span><span class="trans">This shirt is too dirty, I can't clean it.</span>
*门 太 小 了 ,我 的 车 进 <em>不</em> 去 。<span class="pinyin">Mén tài xiǎo le, wǒ de chē jìn <em>bu</em> qù.</span><span class="trans">The door is too small. My car can't get in.</span>
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*门 太 小 了 ,我 的 车 进 <em>不</em> 去 。<span class="pinyin">Mén tài xiǎo le, wǒ de chē jìn <em>bu</em> qù.</span><span class="trans">The door is too small. My car can't go through it.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 08:17, 3 August 2017

Verbs can take potential complements that indicate whether or not the action is actually possible. They are useful in Chinese to say if an action can take place.

Positive Pattern

Structurally, potential complements are closely related to both result complements and direction complements, so it helps to be familiar with those first. The most important and commonly used potential complements are derived from other complements such as the following:

  • Verb + e.g. 看见, 听见 (result complements)
  • Verb + e.g. 看懂, 听懂 (result complements)
  • Verb + e.g. 吃完, 做完, 用完, 花完 (result complements)
  • Verb + Adj. e.g. 看清楚, 听明白, 洗干净 (result complements)
  • Verb + e.g. 找到, 买到, 收到 (result complements)
  • Verb + Direction e.g. 上来, 下去, 进去, 起来, 走过去, 爬上去 (direction complements)

Potential complements can be positive or negative. What this means is fairly intuitive - potential complements can be used to express that something can happen or that it can't.

Structure

Verb + 得 + [Complement]

Examples

  • 他 一个人 吃 完 这么 多 饭 吗 ?Tā yīgèrén chī de wán zhème duō fàn ma? Can he eat all the food by himself?
  • 我 找 到 我 的 手机 了 。Wǒ zhǎo bu dào wǒ de shǒujī le.I can't find my cellphone.
  • 在 上海 买 到 这 个 牌子 的 手表 吗 ?Zài Shànghǎi mǎi de dào zhè gè páizi de shǒubiǎo ma? Can you buy this brand of watch in Shanghai?
  • 早上 五点 出发 , 孩子们 起 来 吗 ? Zǎoshang wǔdiǎn chūfā, háizi men qǐ de lái ma? We're leaving at five a.m.; will the kids be able to come?
  • 这么 高 的 山 ,你 爬 上去 吗 ?Zhème gāo de shān, nǐ pá de shàngqù ma? The mountain is so high. Can you make it to the top?

Negative Pattern

Structure

Verb + 不 + [Complement]

Examples

  • 大家 都 看 懂 这 句 话 。Dàjiā dōu kàn bu dǒng zhè jù huà.Nobody can understand this sentence.
  • 你 的 声音 太 小 了 ,我们 听 见 。Nǐ de shēngyīn tài xiǎo le, wǒmen tīng bu jiàn.Your voice is too soft. We can't hear you.
  • 我 没 戴 眼镜 ,看 清楚 。Wǒ méi dài yǎnjìng, kàn bu qīngchu.When I don't wear glasses, I can't see clearly.
  • 这 件 衬衫 太 脏 了 ,我 洗 干净 。Zhè jiàn chènshān tài zāng le, wǒ xǐ bu gānjìng.This shirt is too dirty, I can't clean it.
  • 门 太 小 了 ,我 的 车 进 去 。Mén tài xiǎo le, wǒ de chē jìn bu qù.The door is too small. My car can't go through it.

See also

Sources and and further reading

Books

Websites

Yale

HSK4