Difference between revisions of "Result complements"

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== Using One-syllable Verbs ==
 
== Using One-syllable Verbs ==
  
Besides adjectives, there are a few single-syllable verbs which an also be used as result complements. Some examples include [[Result complements "-dao" and "-jian"|到 (dào), 见 (jiàn)]], 懂 (dǒng), 会 (huì), 走 (zǒu), 掉 (diào). There really aren't a lot of these.
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Besides adjectives, there are a few single-syllable verbs which an also be used as result complements. Some examples include [[Result complements "-dao" and "-jian"|到 (dào), 见 (jiàn)]], 懂 (dǒng), 会 (huì), 走 (zǒu), 掉 (diào). There really aren't a lot of these, which is why these words are usually seen as one word.
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
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*他们 这么 小 ,真的 能 <em></em> 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Tāmen zhème xiǎo, zhēnde néng tīng <em>dǒng</em> ma?</span><span class="trans">They are so young. Can they really understand?</span>
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*他们 这么 小 ,真的 能 <em>听懂</em> 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Tāmen zhème xiǎo, zhēnde néng <em>tīng dǒng</em> ma?</span><span class="trans">They are so young. Can they really understand?</span>
*我 看 了 ,但是 没 <em></em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ kàn le, dànshì méi kàn <em>dǒng</em>.</span><span class="trans">I read it, but I didn't really understand it.</span>
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*我 看 了 ,但是 没 <em>看懂</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ kàn le, dànshì méi <em>kàndǒng</em>.</span><span class="trans">I read it, but I didn't really understand it.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
*我 女儿 <em></em> 了 游泳 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ nǚ'ér xué <em>huì</em> le yóuyǒng.</span><span class="trans">My daughter has learned how to swim.</span>
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*我 女儿 <em>学会</em> 了 游泳 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ nǚ'ér <em>xuéhuì</em> le yóuyǒng.</span><span class="trans">My daughter has learned how to swim.</span>
*这个 学生 还没 <em></em> 写 汉字 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège xuéshēng hái méi xué <em>huì</em> xiě hànzì.</span><span class="trans">This student hasn't learned how to write Chinese characters.</span>
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*这个 学生 还没 <em>学会</em> 写 汉字 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège xuéshēng hái méi <em>xuéhuì</em> xiě hànzì.</span><span class="trans">This student hasn't learned how to write Chinese characters.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
*老师 <em></em> 了 我 的 iPad 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎoshī <em>zǒu</em> le wǒ de iPad.</span><span class="trans">The teacher took away my iPad.</span>
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*老师 <em>拿走</em> 了 我 的 iPad 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎoshī <em>názǒu</em> le wǒ de iPad.</span><span class="trans">The teacher took away my iPad.</span>
*小偷 <em></em> 了 我 的 钱包 。<span class="pinyin">Xiǎotōu tōu <em>zǒu</em> le wǒ de qiánbāo.</span><span class="trans">The thief stole my wallet.</span>
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*小偷 <em>偷走</em> 了 我 的 钱包 。<span class="pinyin">Xiǎotōu <em>tōuzǒu</em> le wǒ de qiánbāo.</span><span class="trans">The thief stole my wallet.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
*他 不小心 <em></em> 了 一 个 老人 。<span class="pinyin">Tā bù xiǎoxīn tuī <em>dǎo</em> le yī gè lǎorén.</span><span class="trans">He pushed over an old people by accident.</span>
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*他 不小心 <em>推倒</em> 了 一 个 老人 。<span class="pinyin">Tā bù xiǎoxīn <em>tuīdǎo</em> le yī gè lǎorén.</span><span class="trans">He pushed over an old people by accident.</span>
*你 <em></em> 了 我 的 自行车 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhuàng <em>dǎo</em> le wǒ de zìxíngchē.</span><span class="trans">You knocked over my bike.</span>
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*你 <em>撞倒</em> 了 我 的 自行车 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zhuàngdǎo</em> le wǒ de zìxíngchē.</span><span class="trans">You knocked over my bike.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
*谁 <em></em> 了 我 的 袜子 ?<span class="pinyin">Shéi rēng <em>diào</em> le wǒ de wàzi?</span><span class="trans">Who threw away my socks?</span>
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*谁 <em>扔掉</em> 了 我 的 袜子 ?<span class="pinyin">Shéi <em>rēngdiào</em> le wǒ de wàzi?</span><span class="trans">Who threw away my socks?</span>
*我 <em></em> 了 我 的 旧 手机 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ mài <em>diào</em> le wǒ de jiù shǒujī.</span><span class="trans">I sold my old cell phone.</span>
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*我 <em>卖掉</em> 了 我 的 旧 手机 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>màidiào</em> le wǒ de jiù shǒujī.</span><span class="trans">I sold my old cell phone.</span>
 
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</div>
  

Revision as of 05:08, 6 February 2018

Result complements or one of the most common and useful types of complements. Often the complement is simply an adjective like 好 (hǎo) or a single syllable like 完 (wán). They indicate that an action has led to a certain result and make that result clear to the listener.

Using Adjectives

好 (hǎo) implies that something is done to completion 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) is used to express that an action has been performed incorrectly in some way, resulting in a mistake (错). This pattern covers what is often expressed with the adverb "incorrectly" in English.

Other adjectives commonly used as result complements include: 清楚 (qīngchu), 明白 (míngbai), 干净 (gānjìng), 晚 (wǎn), 饱 (bǎo), 坏 (huài), 破 (pò).

Structure

For the basic structure, you'll almost always see a 了 after the complement:

Subj. + Verb + Adj. + 了 (+ Obj.)

To negate a result complement, use 没 instead of 不:

Subj. + 没 + Verb + Adj. (+ Obj.)

Examples

  • 你 吃 了 吗 ?Nǐ chī hǎo le ma?Are you done eating?
  • 对不起 ,我 记 了 。Duìbuqǐ, wǒ jì cuò le.Sorry, I remember it wrong.
  • 你们 听 清楚 了 吗 ?Nǐmen tīng qīngchu le ma?Did you hear clearly?
  • 他 玩 了 哥哥 的 玩具 。Tā wán huài le gēge de wánjù.He broke his older brother's toy.
  • 我 没 吃 Wǒ méi chī bǎo.I didn't eat enough.
  • 他 还没 想 Tā hái méi xiǎng hǎo.He hasn't thought it through yet.
  • 我们 没 看 清楚 那个 人 的 脸 。Wǒmen méi kàn qīngchu nàge rén de liǎn.We didn't see the guy's face clearly.

When using result complements, it's very common to make the object a topic. This means the object is moved to the beginning of the sentence and the subject is often omitted.

Some examples:

  • 这 个 字 了。Zhège zì xiě cuò le.You wrote this character wrong.
  • 杯子 了 。Bēizi shuāi huài le.The cup is broken.
  • 房间 打扫 干净 了 吗 ?Fángjiān dǎsǎo gānjìng le ma?Is your room all cleaned up?

Using One-syllable Verbs

Besides adjectives, there are a few single-syllable verbs which an also be used as result complements. Some examples include 到 (dào), 见 (jiàn), 懂 (dǒng), 会 (huì), 走 (zǒu), 掉 (diào). There really aren't a lot of these, which is why these words are usually seen as one word.

Structure

For the basic structure, you'll almost always see a 了 after the complement if it's affirmative:

Subj. + Verb + [One-syllable Verb] (+ Obj.) +了

Examples

  • 他们 这么 小 ,真的 能 听懂 吗 ?Tāmen zhème xiǎo, zhēnde néng tīng dǒng ma?They are so young. Can they really understand?
  • 我 看 了 ,但是 没 看懂Wǒ kàn le, dànshì méi kàndǒng.I read it, but I didn't really understand it.
  • 我 女儿 学会 了 游泳 。Wǒ nǚ'ér xuéhuì le yóuyǒng.My daughter has learned how to swim.
  • 这个 学生 还没 学会 写 汉字 。Zhège xuéshēng hái méi xuéhuì xiě hànzì.This student hasn't learned how to write Chinese characters.
  • 老师 拿走 了 我 的 iPad 。Lǎoshī názǒu le wǒ de iPad.The teacher took away my iPad.
  • 小偷 偷走 了 我 的 钱包 。Xiǎotōu tōuzǒu le wǒ de qiánbāo.The thief stole my wallet.
  • 他 不小心 推倒 了 一 个 老人 。Tā bù xiǎoxīn tuīdǎo le yī gè lǎorén.He pushed over an old people by accident.
  • 撞倒 了 我 的 自行车 。zhuàngdǎo le wǒ de zìxíngchē.You knocked over my bike.
  • 扔掉 了 我 的 袜子 ?Shéi rēngdiào le wǒ de wàzi?Who threw away my socks?
  • 卖掉 了 我 的 旧 手机 。màidiào le wǒ de jiù shǒujī.I sold my old cell phone.

Compared with Potential Complement

Result and Potential Complements
Result Complement Aff. Potential Complement Neg. Potential Complement
做 完
听 懂
看 清楚 清楚 清楚
洗 干净 干净 干净

Used in 把 Sentences

You might have noticed that quite a few of the example sentences in this article are 把 sentences. This is because 把 sentences and result complements work particularly well together, as they both deal with the result of an action or the disposal of an object.

Apart from result complements involving perception and psychological verbs, most result compounds work nicely in 把 sentences.

Result complements in 把 sentences
Subject Object RC compound verb
杯子 摔 坏 了
我 的 电脑 修 好 了
小偷 我 的 钱包 偷 走 了
我们 房间 打扫 干净 了

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites