Difference between revisions of "Potential complements"

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#REDIRECT[[Potential complement]]
 
 
[[Category:**URGENT**]]
 
 
 
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.
 
 
 
== Positive Pattern ==
 
 
 
Structurally, potential complements are closely related to both [[result complement]]s and [[direction complement]]s, 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 + [[见]] e.g. 看见, 听见 (result complements)
 
* Verb + [[懂]] e.g. 看懂, 听懂 (result complements)
 
* Verb + [[完]] e.g. 吃完, 做完, 用完, 花完 (result complements)
 
* Verb + [[Adjective|Adj.]] e.g. 看清楚, 听明白, 洗干净 (result complements)
 
* Verb + [[到]] 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 ===
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
 
Verb + 得 + [Complement]
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
=== Examples ===
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
 
 
*他 一个人 吃 <em>得</em> 完 这么 多 饭 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Tā yīgèrén chī <em>de</em> wán zhème duō fàn ma? </span><span class="trans">Can he eat all the food by himself?</span>
 
*我 找 <em>不</em> 到 我 的 手机 了 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zhǎo <em>bu</em> dào wǒ de shǒujī le.</span><span class="trans">I can't find my cellphone.</span>
 
*在 上海 买 <em>得</em> 到 这 个 牌子 的 手表 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Zài Shànghǎi mǎi <em>de</em> dào zhè gè páizi de shǒubiǎo ma? </span><span class="trans">Can you buy this brand of watch in Shanghai?</span>
 
*早上 五点 出发 , 孩子们 起 <em>得</em> 来 吗 ? <span class="pinyin">Zǎoshang wǔdiǎn chūfā, háizi men qǐ <em>de</em> lái ma?</span> <span class="trans">We're leaving at five a.m.; will the kids be able to come?</span>
 
*这么 高 的 山 ,你 爬 <em>得</em> 上去 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Zhème gāo de shān, nǐ pá <em>de</em> shàngqù ma? </span><span class="trans">The mountain is so high. Can you make it to the top?</span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
== Negative Pattern ==
 
 
 
=== Structure ===
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
Verb + 不 + [Complement]
 
</div>
 
 
 
=== Examples ===
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
 
 
*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 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">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 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 go through it.</span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
== See also ==
 
 
 
== 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|Verb + 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