Difference between revisions of "Result complement"

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|+Result complement examples
 
|+Result complement examples
 
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! Verb !! Example result compound !! Explanation
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! Verb !! Result compound !! Explanation
 
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| 看 || 看见 || <span style="font-size:0.5em;">看 alone means 'to look'. 看见  includes  the  result  -  'to  see'</span>.
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| 看 || 看见 || <span style="font-size:0.7em;">看 alone means 'to look'. 看见  includes  the  result  -  'to  see'</span>.
 
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| 听 || 听到 || Again, 听 alone means 'to listen', but 听到 means 'to hear'.
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| 听 || 听到 || <span style="font-size:0.7em;">Again, 听 alone means 'to listen', but 听到 means 'to hear'.</span>
 
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| || 洗干净 || ''Wash'' + ''clean'' ⇒ to wash something and make it clean
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| || || <span style="font-size:0.7em;">''Write'' + ''correct'' ⇒ to write something correctly</span>
 
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| || || ''Write'' + ''correct'' ⇒ to write something correctly
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| || || <span style="font-size:0.7em;">''Study'' + ''able'' ⇒ to master</span>
 
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| || || ''Study'' + ''able'' ⇒ to master
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| || 洗干净 || <span style="font-size:0.7em;">''Wash'' + ''clean'' ⇒ to wash something and make it clean</span>
 
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In each of the examples above, a compound verb has been created from a verb plus another verb or adjective. These compounds then behave exactly like other verbs. They can take objects, adverbs and be negated just like other verbs.
  
 
== Sources and further reading ==
 
== Sources and further reading ==

Revision as of 06:40, 3 August 2011

Result complements, also known as "resultative complements" and "complements of result" in English, are called 结果补语 (literally, "result complement") in Chinese. Surprisingly enough, they're used to describe the result (or lack of) of a verb.

Why result complements are necessary in Chinese

In English, we have separate verbs to describe actions depending on their outcome. You can look, but not see, or listen, but not hear. In Chinese, verbs tend to be of the 'look' and 'listen' variety - the result isn't included like it is in 'see' and 'hear'. So if you want to indicate the result, you have to use a result complement.

Forming the result complement

Result complements form verbal compounds that behave exactly the same as normal verbs. The compound is formed by a verb plus another verb or an adjective:

Result complement examples
Verb Result compound Explanation
看见 看 alone means 'to look'. 看见 includes the result - 'to see'.
听到 Again, 听 alone means 'to listen', but 听到 means 'to hear'.
Write + correct ⇒ to write something correctly
Study + able ⇒ to master
洗干净 Wash + clean ⇒ to wash something and make it clean

In each of the examples above, a compound verb has been created from a verb plus another verb or adjective. These compounds then behave exactly like other verbs. They can take objects, adverbs and be negated just like other verbs.

Sources and further reading