Difference between revisions of "Result complements "-dao" and "-jian""

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[[Result complement]]s are a huge topic in Chinese grammar, but you can approach them in stages. The structure you come across the most is a verb with 到 (dào) or 见 (jiàn):
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{{Grammar Box}}
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Two of the most common result complements in Chinese are 到 (dào) and 见 (jiàn). On this page we're only going to be talking about verbs related to the senses ("see," "hear," etc.), and for this usage, the two are interchangeable.
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== Verbs with 到 (dào) and 见 (jiàn) ==
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=== Structure ===
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[[Result complement]]s are a huge topic in Chinese grammar, but you can approach them in stages. The structure you come across the most is a verb with 到 (dào):
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<div class="jiegou">
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Subj. + Verb + 到 + Obj.
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</div>
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What 到 (dào) does is indicate that the outcome of the verb is achieved - what its ''result'' is. Without a result complement, the sentence would describe only the action itself. To illustrate, 看 (kàn) "to look" is the action of turning your head in a particular direction and focusing your eyes, whereas 看到 (kàndào), "to see," is the result of your brain taking in the visual input. It may sound a little hokey, but it really is possible to "look but not see," and Chinese makes a clear distinction between the action and the result.
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The complement 见 (jiàn) is very similar to 到 (dào), and it is used in the same way:
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<div class="jiegou">
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Subj. + Verb + 见 + Obj.
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</div>
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However, there is a difference.  见 (jiàn) is generally ''only'' used after verbs involving one of the senses, like 听 (tīng) and 看 (kàn), whereas 到 (dào) can be attached to a large variety of verbs, which we will discuss [[Tricky uses of "dao"|at a higher level later]].
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=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
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* 你 <strong>看</strong> <em>见</em> 那 个 帅哥 了 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>kàn</strong><em>jiàn</em> nàge shuàigē le ma?</span>
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* 你 <strong>看</strong><em>到</em> 那 个 帅哥 了 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>kàn</strong><em>dào</em> nàge shuàigē le ma?</span><span class="trans">Did you see that handsome guy?</span>
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</div>
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<div class="liju">
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* 我 <strong>看</strong> <em>见</em> 了 。 <span class="expl">We didn't say what "I" saw; you have to infer it from the context.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>kàn</strong><em>jiàn</em> le.</span>
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* 我 <strong>看</strong> <em>到</em> 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>kàn</strong><em>dào</em> le.</span><span class="trans">I saw it.</span>
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</div>
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<div class="liju">
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* 你 <strong>听</strong> <em>见</em> 了 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>tīng</strong><em>jiàn</em> le ma?</span>
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* 你 <strong>听</strong> <em>到</em> 了 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>tīng</strong><em>dào</em> le ma?</span><span class="trans">Did you hear it?</span>
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</div>
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== Negative Forms ==
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=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
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Subject + Verb + 到 / 见 + Object
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Subj. + 没 + Verb + 到 / 见 + Obj.
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</div>
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This structure can be negated using 没 (méi) on 没有 (méiyǒu). This is because if there is a result, then it already happened. And you need to [[Negation of "you" with "mei"|use 没 (méi) to negate past events]], not 不 (bù).
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=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
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* 你 <strong>没</strong> 看 <em>到</em> 那 个 帅哥 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>méi</strong> kàn<em>dào</em> nàge shuàigē ma?</span>
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* 你 <strong>没</strong> 看 <em>见</em> 那 个 帅哥 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>méi</strong> kàn<em>jiàn</em> nàge shuàigē ma?</span><span class="trans">You didn't see that handsome guy?</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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What 到 and 见 do is indicate that the outcome of the verb is achieved - what its ''result'' is. Without them, the sentence would describe only the action itself. This is the difference between "to look" and "to see" in English.
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<div class="liju">
  
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Some examples:
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* 我 <strong>没有</strong> 看 <em>到</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>méiyǒu</strong> kàn<em>dào</em>.</span>
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* 我 <strong>没有</strong> 看 <em>见</em> 。 <span class="expl">We didn't say what "I" didn't see; you have to infer it from the context.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>méiyǒu</strong> kàn<em>jiàn</em>.</span><span class="trans">I didn't see it.</span>
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</div>
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
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*  
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* 你 <strong>没</strong> 听 <em>到</em> 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>méi</strong> tīng<em>dào</em> ma?</span>
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* 你 <strong>没</strong> 听 <em>见</em> 吗 ？  <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>méi</strong> tīng<em>jiàn</em> ma?</span><span class="trans">You didn't hear it?</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK2}}{{2021-HSK|HSK2}}
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[[Category:Result complement]]
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==See also==
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* [[Result complement "-wan" for finishing]]
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* [[Result complement "-qilai"]]
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* [[Result complement "-cuo"]]
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== Sources and further reading ==
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=== Books ===
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{{Source|Short-term Spoken Chinese: Threshold Vol. 2 (汉语口语入门篇下)|92}}
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{{Source|Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar|109}}
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{{Source|40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）|205-6}}
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{{Basic Grammar|到|A2|Verb + 到 / 见|听 <em>到</em> 了 吗 ？|grammar point|ASGWNGEP}}
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{{Rel char|见}}
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{{Similar|Further Uses of Resultative Complement "qilai"}}
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{{Similar|"-wan" result complement}}
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{{Similar|Result complement "-qilai"}}
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{{Similar|Result complement}}
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{{Similar|Tricky uses of "dao"}}
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{{Used for|Expressing result}}
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{{Structure|Complements}}
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{{Subprop|Result complement}}

Latest revision as of 08:57, 21 April 2021

Two of the most common result complements in Chinese are 到 (dào) and 见 (jiàn). On this page we're only going to be talking about verbs related to the senses ("see," "hear," etc.), and for this usage, the two are interchangeable.

Verbs with 到 (dào) and 见 (jiàn)

Structure

Result complements are a huge topic in Chinese grammar, but you can approach them in stages. The structure you come across the most is a verb with 到 (dào):

Subj. + Verb + 到 + Obj.

What 到 (dào) does is indicate that the outcome of the verb is achieved - what its result is. Without a result complement, the sentence would describe only the action itself. To illustrate, 看 (kàn) "to look" is the action of turning your head in a particular direction and focusing your eyes, whereas 看到 (kàndào), "to see," is the result of your brain taking in the visual input. It may sound a little hokey, but it really is possible to "look but not see," and Chinese makes a clear distinction between the action and the result.

The complement 见 (jiàn) is very similar to 到 (dào), and it is used in the same way:

Subj. + Verb + 见 + Obj.

However, there is a difference. 见 (jiàn) is generally only used after verbs involving one of the senses, like 听 (tīng) and 看 (kàn), whereas 到 (dào) can be attached to a large variety of verbs, which we will discuss at a higher level later.

Examples

  • 你 看 见 那 个 帅哥 了 吗 ？ Nǐ kànjiàn nàge shuàigē le ma?
  • 你 看到 那 个 帅哥 了 吗 ？ Nǐ kàndào nàge shuàigē le ma?Did you see that handsome guy?
  • 我 看 见 了 。 We didn't say what "I" saw; you have to infer it from the context.Wǒ kànjiàn le.
  • 我 看 到 了 。 Wǒ kàndào le.I saw it.
  • 你 听 见 了 吗 ？ Nǐ tīngjiàn le ma?
  • 你 听 到 了 吗 ？ Nǐ tīngdào le ma?Did you hear it?

Negative Forms

Structure

Subj. + 没 + Verb + 到 / 见 + Obj.

This structure can be negated using 没 (méi) on 没有 (méiyǒu). This is because if there is a result, then it already happened. And you need to use 没 (méi) to negate past events, not 不 (bù).

Examples

  • 你 没 看 到 那 个 帅哥 吗 ？ Nǐ méi kàndào nàge shuàigē ma?
  • 你 没 看 见 那 个 帅哥 吗 ？ Nǐ méi kànjiàn nàge shuàigē ma?You didn't see that handsome guy?
  • 我 没有 看 到 。 Wǒ méiyǒu kàndào.
  • 我 没有 看 见 。 We didn't say what "I" didn't see; you have to infer it from the context.Wǒ méiyǒu kànjiàn.I didn't see it.
  • 你 没 听 到 吗 ？ Nǐ méi tīngdào ma?
  • 你 没 听 见 吗 ？ Nǐ méi tīngjiàn ma?You didn't hear it?

See also

Sources and further reading

Books


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