Directional Complements
Directional complements indicate the direction of an action, showing where the action moves to or from. They are often verbs like 上 (shàng), 下 (xià), 进 (jìn), 出 (chū), 回 (huí), and 过 (guò) added after the main verb.
These complements clarify the trajectory or destination of the verb.
他走进教室。
Tā zǒu jìn jiàoshì.
He walked into the classroom.
请你上来一下。
Qǐng nǐ shàng lái yīxià.
Please come up for a moment.
Resultative Complements
Resultative complements express the result or outcome of an action. They usually follow the main verb and describe what happened after the action was completed or the state caused by it.
Common resultative complements include 到 (dào), 完 (wán), 见 (jiàn), 错 (cuò), and 开 (kāi).
我吃完饭了。
Wǒ chī wán fàn le.
I have finished eating.
他找到了工作。
Tā zhǎo dào le gōngzuò.
He found a job.
Degree Complements
Degree complements describe the extent or degree of an action or adjective. They often use intensifiers like 得 (de) followed by an adjective or adverbial phrase.
Degree complements answer the question "to what extent?"
他跑得很快。
Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.
He runs very fast.
这本书好看得不得了。
Zhè běn shū hǎokàn de bùdéliǎo.
This book is extremely interesting.
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| Verb + 得 + Degree Complement | 跑得快 (run fast) |
| Adjective + 得 + Degree Complement | 好看得很 (very good-looking) |
Potential Complements
Potential complements indicate whether an action can be done or not, expressing possibility or ability. They usually use the pattern verb + 得/不 + complement.
These complements show if something is doable or impossible.
这本书我看得懂。
Zhè běn shū wǒ kàn de dǒng.
I can understand this book.
他写不完作业。
Tā xiě bù wán zuòyè.
He can't finish the homework.
Complement of State
Complement of state expresses the resulting state after an action has been completed. It often uses adjectives or descriptive verbs as complements, showing how something is left after the action.
Common complements of state include 好 (hǎo), 干净 (gānjìng), and 清楚 (qīngchu).
他写好作业了。
Tā xiě hǎo zuòyè le.
He finished writing the homework (and it is done well).
请把房间打扫干净。
Qǐng bǎ fángjiān dǎsǎo gānjìng.
Please clean the room thoroughly.
Separability of Complements
Some complements can be separated from the verb by other words, while others must stay directly after the verb. Understanding which complements are separable helps with sentence construction.
Typically, resultative complements are inseparable, while directional complements can sometimes be separated by adverbs or other elements.
他已经看完电影了。
Tā yǐjīng kàn wán diànyǐng le.
He has already finished watching the movie.
他跑上去了。
Tā pǎo shàng qù le.
He ran upstairs.
Practice Examples
Try to identify the type of complement in each sentence and explain its function.
妈妈买回来水果。
Māma mǎi huílái shuǐguǒ.
Mom bought fruit and brought it back.
他写错了字。
Tā xiě cuò le zì.
He wrote the character wrong.
你听得懂我说的话吗？
Nǐ tīng de dǒng wǒ shuō de huà ma?
Can you understand what I am saying?
他跳得很高。
Tā tiào de hěn gāo.
He jumps very high.
Tips for Remembering Rules
- Remember that directional complements usually indicate where the action is going, often involving movement verbs.
- Resultative complements show what happened after the action, think of them as the "result" of the verb.
- Degree complements describe "how much" or "to what extent" an action or adjective applies.
- Potential complements include 得 or 不 to express ability or possibility.
- Practice spotting complements in sentences by identifying verbs followed by a second verb or adjective that explains direction, result, or degree.
- Some complements are inseparable from the verb; others can be separated by adverbs, pay attention to word order.