Potential complements

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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.

Basic Potential Complement

从结构上来看,可能补语和"结果补语"和"趋向补语"的关系很密切。可能补语有三种,其中最重要也是最常见的的一种就是由"结果补语"和"趋向补语"构成的。

常见的例子

  • Verb + 见 e.g. 看见 听见
  • Verb + 懂 e.g. 看懂 听懂
  • Verb + 完 e.g. 吃完 做完 用完 花完
  • Verb + 到 e.g. 找到 买到 想到 做到
  • Verb + 形容词 e.g. 做对 写错 看清楚 听明白 洗干净
  • Verb + 趋向动词 e.g. 上来 下去 进来 出去 走过去 爬上去

Structure

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.

Verb + 得 / 不 + [Complement]

Here the complement is the second part of the potential complement after 得 (positive).

Examples

  • 你 的 声音 太 小 了 ,我们 听 见 。 zuò bu wán can't do it all
  • 他 一个人 吃 完 这么 多 饭 吗? zuò de wán
  • 在 上海 买 到 这 个 牌子 的 手表。 zuò bu wán
  • de can find it


  • Wǒ mǎi bu qǐ nà tào fángzi.I can't afford (to buy) that apartment.
  • 我 买 起 那 套 房子 。Wǒ mǎi de qǐ nà tào fángzi.I can afford (to buy) that apartment.
  • 我 吃 下。Wǒ chī de xià.I can eat more.
  • 我 吃 下 了。Wǒ chī bu xià le.I can't eat any more.


Special Potential Complement

Structure

Verb + 得 / 不 + [Complement]

Here the complement is the second part of the potential complement after 不 (negative).

See also

Sources and and further reading

Books

Websites

Yale

HSK4