Difference between revisions of "State complement"

Revision as of 08:52, 3 August 2017

Also known as: 状态补语 (zhuàngtài bǔyǔ), 情态补语 (qíngtài bǔyǔ) and complement of state.

State complements describe an achieved state of an action. State complements are usually adjective phrases (adverb + adjective) but can take the form of verbal phrases, subject-predicate phrase or other complements. State complements that are adjective phrases often look the same as degree complements and thus often lumped together with degree complements in textbooks.

Adjective as State Complements

In a state complement phrase, the verb must be followed by 得, and then the complement follows. The most common type of state complement, where the complement is an adjective phrase, is formed by placing the adjective phrase after 得.

一般来说，做情态补语的形容词前要加程度副词，如"很、非常、不太、有点"等。

Examples

她来 得有点晚 。She came a little late.
老师今天穿 得非常漂亮 。The teacher dressed very nicely today.
孩子们玩 得很开心 。The kids are having lots of fun.
我昨天睡 得不太好 。I didn't sleep very well yesterday.
哪个城市发展 得最快 ？Which city has developed most rapidly?

State Complements with

If the verb taking a complement also has an object, you can repeat the verb: once for the object, then once for the complement:

弟弟做作业做 得很慢 。Dìdi zuò zuòyè zuò de hěn màn.My younger brother does his homework very slowly.
他打篮球打 得非常好 。He eats very fast.
妈妈洗衣服洗 得干不干净 ？Did mother wash the clothes well [clean]?
我们班谁说汉语说 得最流利 ？Who speaks Chinese most fluently in our class?

Verb Phrases as State Complements

Verb phrases (VP), subject-predicate phrases (SP) can also serve as complements of state. As with adjective phrase state complements, they can describe a state that arose from the action of the main verb in the sentence.

Examples

我累得不想说话。 My son played the video games to the point where he didn't sleep at all last night.
我的牙疼得 我睡不着 。 My teeth aches to the point where I can't sleep.
听到这个消息，她激动得 哭了起来 。The state complement in this example is used to describe the state of excitement the subject has arrived at.Hearing this news, she was excited to point where she started crying.

More Advanced State Complements

他忙得 忘了给女儿买生日礼物 。 Here the state complement is a verb phrase and expresses the state to which the subject got caught up in his business.He's busy to the point where he forgot to buy her daughter a birthday present.
天气热 得我只想待在空调房里 。The weather is hot to the point where I only want to stay in the room with AC.
地铁挤 得有的人下不去 。The metro was crowded to the point where some people couldn't get off.

References and Further Reading

Books

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 15-6) →buy

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 65-6) →buy

Websites

About Chinese Language, XCN Chinese The Complement of State

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 *她 <strong>来</strong> <em>得 有点 晚</em> 。<span class="trans">She came a little late.</span>
-*妈妈 今天 <strong>穿</strong> <em>得 非常 漂亮</em> 。<span class="trans">Mother dressed very nicely today.</span>
+*老师 今天 <strong>穿</strong> <em>得 非常 漂亮</em> 。<span class="trans">The teacher dressed very nicely today.</span>
 *孩子们 <strong>玩</strong> <em>得 很 开心</em>  。<span class="trans">The kids are having lots of fun.</span>
 *我 昨天 <strong>睡</strong> <em>得 不 太 好</em> 。<span class="trans">I didn't sleep very well yesterday.</span>
+*哪个 城市 <strong>发展</strong> <em>得 最 快</em> ？<span class="trans">Which city has developed most rapidly?</span>
 </div>
+== State Complements with ==
 If the verb taking a complement also has an object, you can repeat the verb: once for the object, then once for the complement:
@@ Line 26: / Line 29: @@
 *弟弟 <strong>做</strong> 作业 <strong>做</strong> <em>得 很 慢</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Dìdi <strong>zuò</strong> zuòyè <strong>zuò</strong> <em>de hěn màn</em>.</span><span class="trans">My younger brother does his homework very slowly.</span>
 *他 <strong>打</strong> 篮球 <strong>打</strong> <em>得 非常 好</em> 。<span class="trans">He eats very fast.</span>
+*妈妈 <strong>洗</strong> 衣服 <strong>洗</strong> <em>得 干 不 干净</em> ？<span class="trans">Did mother wash the clothes well [clean]?</span>
 *我们 班 谁 <strong>说</strong> 汉语 <strong>说</strong> <em>得 最 流利</em> ？<span class="trans">Who speaks Chinese most fluently in our class?</span>
 </div>
-== Verb Phrases and other Complements as State Complements ==
+== Verb Phrases as State Complements ==
+Verb phrases (VP), subject-predicate phrases (SP) can also serve as complements of state. As with adjective phrase state complements, they can describe a state that arose from the action of the main verb in the sentence.
-Verb phrases (VP), subject-predicate phrases (SP) and other [[complements]] can also serve as complements of state. As with adjective phrase state complements, they can describe a state that arose from the action of the main verb in the sentence. Some examples:
+=== Examples ===
 <div class="liju">
-*他们 <strong>唱</strong>歌 <strong>唱</strong> 得 <em>忘 了 时间</em> 。 <span class="expl">Here the state complement is a verb phrase and expresses the state to which the subject got caught up in their singing activities (probably at KTV).</span><span class="trans">They sang to the point where they lost track of time.</span>
+*我 <strong>累</strong> <em>得 </em> 不 想 说话 。 <span class="trans">My son played the video games to the point where he didn't sleep at all last night.</span>
-*我 儿子 <strong>玩</strong> 游戏 <strong>玩</strong> <em>得 一 晚上 没 睡</em> 。 <span class="trans">My son played the video games to the point where he didn't sleep at all last night.</span>
+*我 的 牙 <strong>疼</strong> 得 <em>我 睡 不 着</em> 。 <span class="trans">My teeth aches to the point where I can't sleep.</span>
-*地铁 <strong>挤</strong> <em> 得 我 下 不 去 </em> 。<span class="trans">The metro was crowded to the point where I couldn't get off.</span>
 *听到 这个 消息 ，她 <strong>激动</strong> 得 <em>哭 了 起来</em> 。<span class="expl">The state complement in this example is used to describe the state of excitement the subject has arrived at.</span><span class="trans">Hearing this news, she was excited to point where she started crying.</span>
 </div>
-== State Complements in Questions ==
+== More Advanced State Complements ==
-You can form questions with sentences containing result complements just as you would with any other sentence:
-* With a [[Interrogative Sentences#Question particles|question particle]]
-* With a [[Word order#Using question words in a Chinese sentence|question word]]
-* With [[Interrogative Sentences#Positive-negative questions|positive-negative inversion]]
-Some examples:
-<div class="liju">
-*大家 <strong>玩</strong> <em>得 高兴 吗</em> ？<span class="trans">Is everyone having fun?</span>
+*他 <strong>忙</strong> 得 <em>忘 了 给 女儿 买 生日 礼物</em> 。 <span class="expl">Here the state complement is a verb phrase and expresses the state to which the subject got caught up in his business.</span><span class="trans">He's busy to the point where he forgot to buy her daughter a birthday present.</span>
-*哪个 城市 <strong>发展</strong> <em>得 最 好</em> ？<span class="trans">What place has developed nicely?</span>
+*天气 <strong>热</strong> <em> 得 我 只 想 待 在 空调 房 里 </em> 。<span class="trans">The weather is hot to the point where I only want to stay in the room with AC.</span>
-*衣服 <strong>洗</strong> <em>得 干 不 干净</em> ？<span class="trans">Was the clothing washed well [clean]?</span>
+*地铁 <strong>挤</strong> <em> 得 有的 人 下 不 去 </em> 。<span class="trans">The metro was crowded to the point where some people couldn't get off.</span>
 </div>

Difference between revisions of "State complement"

Revision as of 08:52, 3 August 2017

Contents

Adjective as State Complements

Examples

State Complements with

Verb Phrases as State Complements

Examples

More Advanced State Complements

References and Further Reading

Books

Websites