Result complements

结果补语十分常见，一些口语中常用的形容词和单音节动词都可以做结果补语。

Using Adjectives

好 (hǎo): It implies that something is complete or done well. Forming a result complement with 好 has a very similar meaning to forming one with 完. It expresses that the action has been completed successfully.

错 (cuò): It's used to express making mistakes. To express that an action resulted in an error, you can use a result complement with 错. This covers what is often expressed with the adverb "incorrectly" in English.

其他常见的做补语的形容词：晚、饱、坏、破、清楚、明白、干净。

Structure

When using result complements, it's very common to make the object a topic. This means the object is said first and the subject is often omitted:

Verb + Adj. + 了

没 + Verb + Adj.

Examples

• 我们 吃 好 了 。Wǒmen chī hǎo le.We finished eating.
• 作业 做 好 了 吗 ？Zuòyè zuò hǎo le ma ? Did you finish doing your homework?
• 这 个 字 写 错 了。Zhège zì xiě cuò le.You wrote this character wrong.
• 我 没 记 错 。Wǒ méi jì cuò.I didn't remember incorrectly.
• 你们 来 晚 了 。Nǐmen lái wǎn le.You came late.
• 你 没 吃 饱 吗 ？Nǐ méi chī bǎo ma?Are you not full?
• 弟弟 玩 坏 了 哥哥 的 玩具 。 Dìdi wán huài le gēge de wánjù.The little brother broke his older brother's toy.
• 宝宝 的 头 是 怎么 撞 破 的 ？Bǎobǎo de tóu shì zěnme zhuàng pò de?How did the baby hit his head?
• 杯子 是 谁 摔 坏 的 ？Bēizi shì shéi shuāi huài de?Who broke the cup?
• 大家 都 听 清楚 了 吗 ？ Dàjiā dōu tīng qīngchu le ma?Does everyone hear this clearly?
• 房间 打扫 干净 了 吗 ？Fángjiān nǐ dǎsǎo gānjìng le ma?Is your room all cleaned up?
• 衣服 没 洗 干净 。Yīfu méi gānjìng.The clothes aren't clean.

Using One-syllable Verb

除了一些单音节形容词和双音节形容词可以做结果补语，少量单音节动词也可以做结果补语。如"见、懂、走、掉"等，这类动词非常有限。

要注意的是："掉"有"离开、分离"的意义，跟"掉"搭配的动词也必须有"离开、分离"的意义。

Examples

• 老师 拿 走 了 我 的 iPad 。 Lǎoshī ná zǒu le wǒ de iPad.The teacher took away my iPad.
• 小偷 偷 走 了 我 的钱包 。 Xiǎotōu tōu zǒu le wǒ de qiánbāo.The thief stole my wallet.
• 不要 了，扔掉 吧 。Bù yào le, rēng diào bā.I don't want it any more. Throw it away.
• 太 热 了 ，外套 脱 掉 吧 。 Tài rè le, wàitào tuō diào bā.It‘s too hot. Let's take off our jackets.
• 我 刚刚 卖 掉 了 我 的 旧 手机 。Wǒ gānggāng mài diào le wǒ de jiù shǒujī.I just sold my old cell phone.

Compared with Potential Complements

Result and Potential Complements

Result Complement	Aff. Potential Complement	Neg. Potential Complement
做 完	做 得 完	做 不 完
听 懂	听 得 懂	听 不 懂
看 清楚	看 得 清楚	看 不 清楚
洗 干净	洗 得 干净	洗 不 干净

See also

All result complements work particularly well in a 把 sentence.

Sources and further reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 43- 4) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 233-4) →buy