Difference between revisions of "Potential complements"

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#REDIRECT[[Potential complement]]
 
 
Verbs can take [[potential complement]]s that indicate whether or not the action is actually possible. They are useful in Chinese to say if an action can take place.
 
 
 
== Structure ==
 
 
 
[[Potential complement]]s 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''.
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
 
Verb + 得 / 不 + [complement]
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
Here the [[complement]] is the second part of the potential complement after 得 (positive) or 不 (negative).
 
 
 
== Examples ==
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
 
 
* 我 听 <em>得</em> 懂。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ tīng <em>dé</em> dǒng.</span><span class="trans">I can understand.</span>
 
* 我 听 <em>不</em> 懂。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ tīng <em>bù</em> dǒng.</span><span class="trans">I can't understand.</span>
 
* 我 买 <em>不</em> 起 那 套 房子 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ mǎi <em>bù</em> qǐ nà tào fángzi.</span><span class="trans">I can't afford (to buy) that apartment.</span>
 
* 我 都 吃  <em>得</em> 完。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ dōu chī <em>dé</em> wán.</span><span class="trans">I can finish eating it all.</span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
Note that the potential complement and [[degree complement]] can sometimes appear to be the same; the difference can usually be seen from context.
 
 
 
==See also==
 
* [[Potential complement "bu xia"]]
 
* [[Potential complement "bu dong"]]
 
 
 
== Sources and and further reading ==
 
 
 
=== Books ===
 
 
 
* [[Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar]] (pp. 71) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1933330899 →buy]
 
* [[Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide]] (pp. 191) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415700108?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0415700108 →buy]
 
* [[Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)]] (pp. 197) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7301075294/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7301075294 →buy]
 
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2]] (pp. 291) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709 →buy]
 
* [[Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼)]] (pp. 125) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001N6R7DI&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001N6R7DI →buy]
 
* [[Contemporary Chinese 2 (当代中文2)]] (pp. 63) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7800529029/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7800529029 →buy]
 
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3)]] (pp. 99) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/756191251X/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=756191251X →buy]
 
 
 
=== Websites ===
 
 
 
==== Yale ====
 
 
 
* [http://comet.cls.yale.edu/mandarin/content/potential/grammar/potential.htm The Potential Complement]
 
* [http://comet.cls.yale.edu/mandarin/content/degree/grammar/Degree-6.htm Potential Complement And Degree Complement In Contrast]
 
 
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:Potential complement]]
 
 
 
{{Basic Grammar|得|B1|V + 得 / 不⋯⋯|做 <em>得</em> 完/做 <em>不</em> 完。吃 <em>得</em> 了/吃 <em>不</em> 了。|grammar point|ASGCPJPQ}}
 
{{Rel char|不}}
 
{{Structure|Complements}}
 
{{Similar|Potential complement "bu xia"}}
 
{{Similar|Potential complement "bu dong"}}
 
{{Similar|The "-bu dong" (don't understand) Potential Complement}}
 
{{Used for|Describing actions}}
 
{{Subprop|Potential complement}}
 

Latest revision as of 00:57, 11 August 2017