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Grammar Review: Complements

Terms in this set (23)

RULE: explain what a "descriptive complement" or "degree complement" is, including its structure. Give examples of descriptive complements.
Descriptive complements are used to describe the action of a verb. This would be done with an adverb in English.

"Verb / Adj. + 得 + Description"

NOTE: here "得" is pronounced "de"

Remember: a complement is a word or phrase following a verb (or sometimes an adjective) that provides additional meaning to the verb phrase. There are many different types of complements. Complements can describe duration, quantity, state, degree, result, direction, or possibility.

For more details about descriptive complements; see this link:
https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Descriptive_complement
MAKE A SENTENCE: Descriptive Complements
"Verb / Adj. + 得 + Description"

verb+obj+verb+得+adj = descriptive complement structure used to describe verb+objects

考试考得很好。

descriptive complement structure used to describe verbs
TRANSLATE: How did you do on last week's exam? [Descriptive Complement]
你上个星期考试考得怎么样？

A: 我考试考得很好。
B: 我考试考得很不好。
DETECTIVE (find and fix mistakes): 她跑步跑很快。
她跑步跑得很快。

verb+obj+verb+得+adj = descriptive complement structure used to describe verb+objects
DETECTIVE (find and fix mistakes): 我睡觉得很多。
我睡觉睡得很多。

verb+obj+verb+得+adj = descriptive complement structure used to describe verb+objects

(睡 = verb, 觉 = object, literally "to sleep a sleep")
RULE: Explain what a direction complement is, including its structure.
A "direction complement" is a complement that's used to describe the direction of a verb.

> VERB + DIRECTION COMPLEMENT

Remember: a complement is a word or phrase following a verb (or sometimes an adjective) that provides additional meaning to the verb phrase. There are many different types of complements. Complements can describe duration, quantity, state, degree, result, direction, or possibility.

We will learn two basic direction complements: "来" (signifying movement toward the speaker) and "去" (signifying movement away from the speaker).

For more details about direction complements; see this link:
https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Direction_complement
MAKE A SENTENCE: 来 [complement]
Here, the "来" is NOT a verb, but a COMPLEMENT. (Specifically, "a direction complement.")

A "direction complement" is a complement that's used to describe the direction of a verb.

> VERB + DIRECTION COMPLEMENT

Remember: a complement is a word or phrase following a verb (or sometimes an adjective) that provides additional meaning to the verb phrase. There are many different types of complements. Complements can describe duration, quantity, state, degree, result, direction, or possibility.

We will learn two basic direction complements: "来" (signifying movement toward the speaker) and "去" (signifying movement away from the speaker).

进来 = to come in TOWARD THE SPEAKER

For more details about direction complements; see this link: https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Direction_complement
TRANSLATE: Come in quickly [toward the speaker]
快进来！
TRANSLATE: Next week I have an interview. I can't come back [there] yet.
我下个星期有一个面试，还不能回去。
TRANSLATE: How come you're online and didn't go out?
你怎么在网上，没出去？
TRANSLATE: The weather here is great this weekend. You'd better come back [here] as soon as you can.
这个周末这儿天气很好，你快一点儿回来吧。
RULE (in English): Explain what a "result complement" is. Describe its specific structure and when it should be used.
A "result complement" is a complement that's used to describe or clarify the result of a verb's action.

> SUB + VERB + RESULT COMPLEMENT (+ OBJECT)

Remember: a complement is a word or phrase following a verb (or sometimes an adjective) that provides additional meaning to the verb phrase. There are many different types of complements. Complements can describe duration, quantity, state, degree, result, direction, or possibility.

The use of result complements is an essential feature of the Chinese language. Generally speaking, result complements are necessary as long as an action produces a certain result.

In English, we have separate verbs to describe actions depending on their outcome. You can look, but not see, or listen, but not hear. In Chinese, verbs tend to be of the 'look' and 'listen' variety - the result isn't included like it is in 'see' and 'hear'. So if you want to indicate the result, you have to use a result complement.

There are endless examples of these 'attempt' or 'procedure' verbs in Chinese which don't include an outcome. The majority of Chinese verbs are like this, in fact. For example:

> 看 means 'to look' but doesn't include the result 'to see'.
> 写 is similar to the English verb 'to write', in that it doesn't specify what the result of writing was (e.g. whether it was correct or not).

All of these verbs need a result complement to describe a complete action with its result.

​Whether a verb can or should be combined with a result complement is not random, but rather follows certain set patterns. It's best to memorize each "verb + result complement" as a set phrase.

NOTE 1: 了 very often appears with result complements, as 了 marks completed actions, and as you'd expect a result complement is usually about a completed action. 了 comes after the result complement, as the verb+result compound can't be separated.

NOTE 2: The negative form of a result complement is usually formed with "没有" [because it's negating a completed result]. Do NOT use "不."

Examples:
1. 小白菜卖完了。= The baby bok choy is sold out [完=result complement].
2. 你找错钱了。= You gave me the change incorrectly [错＝result complement].
3. 功课做好了，我要睡觉了。= My homework is done [好=result complement], I want to go to bed.

For more details about result complements; see this link:
https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Result_complement
TRANSLATE: I saw it.
我看到了。OR 我看见了。

The result complements "到" or "见" are grammatically necessary in this sentence.

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 (kàn dào)," 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.

NOTE: "到" and "见" are both common result complements for sensing verbs [such as 看 and 听]. They can be used interchangeably in this area. However, 见 is ONLY used after sensing verbs, while 到 can ALSO be attached to a large number of other verbs [such as 找，做，买，学，想, etc.]

For more info about 到 and 见 as result complements, see this link: https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Result_complements_%22-dao%22_and_%22-jian%22
TRANSLATE: Did you hear it?
你听到了吗？OR 你听见了吗？

>> For Grammar Notes, see the card "TRANSLATE: I saw it."
TRANSLATE: I didn't see him.
我没有看到他。OR 我没有看见他。

The negative form of a result complement is usually formed with "没有" [because it's negating a completed result]. Do NOT use "不."
TRANSLATE: I'm sorry, our baby bok choy was just sold out.
对不起，小白菜刚卖完。
TRANSLATE: No problem, the dish can be made very quickly.
没问题，菜很快就能做好。​
TRANSLATE: Sorry, I didn't see [it] clearly.
对不起，我没有看清楚。
DETECTIVE (find and fix the mistakes): 菜很快就能做了好。
菜很快就能做好了。
DETECTIVE (find and fix the mistakes): 我不看清楚了。
我没有看清楚。
PUZZLE (in English): What are the two common result complements that appear after sensing verbs? Give examples.
Result Complements: 见，到

看见，看到，听见，听到
PUZZLE (in English): list the three types of complements we've learned so far, and give examples of each.
Descriptive Complements: V+得+adj

Direction Complements: V+来/去

Result Complements: V+到/见/完/对/错/好/清楚
PUZZLE: list at least six different "verb +result complements" patterns using "到"
看到，听到，说到，找到，想到，做到，买到，学到，用到，走到, etc...
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