IX. Verbs as complements

Only stative verbs and verbs can be used as resultative complements.

Verbs are often used as complements to indicate different resultative aspects of an action, such as wán 完 finish, jiàn 见, dào 到, zháo 着, liǎo 了, zhù 住, dǒng 懂, dòng 动, kāi 开, huì 会, zài 在, gěi 给, chéng 成, zuò 作, wéi 为, zǒu 走, pǎo 跑, sǐ 死, tòu 透, etc.

-wán 完 finish (can go with many verbs to indicate that someone has finished doing the action)

  1. kànwán 看完 finish (reading/watching/seeing)
  2. shuōwán 说完 finish (speaking/talking)
  3. xuéwán 学完 finish (studying)
  4. zuòwán 做完 finish (doing)
  5. xiěwán 写完 finish (writing)
  6. etc.

Example:
kànwán 看完 (kàn 看 read + wán 完 finish) finish reading

Zhèi běn shū nǐ kànwán le méi yǒu?
这本书你看完了没有？
Have you finished reading the book?

-jiàn 见 perceive (jiàn 见 indicates perception)

  1. kànjiàn 看见 see
  2. tīngjiàn 听见 hear
  3. pèngjiàn 碰见 bump into
  4. yùjiàn 遇见 run into
  5. etc.

Example:
kànjiàn 看见 (kàn 看 look + jiàn 见 perceive) see

Zuótiān wǒ méi (yǒu) kànjiàn Lǎo Wáng.
昨天我没(有)看见老王。
Yesterday I did not see Old Wang.

-dào 到 (1). implying that an action has attained the expected aim or result

  1. kàndào 看到 see
  2. tīngdào 听到 hear
  3. yùdào 遇到 run into
  4. jiēdào 接到 receive
  5. shōudào 收到 receive
  6. zhǎodào 找到 find
  7. mǎidào 买到 succeed in buying
  8. etc.

Example 1:
zhǎodào 找到 (zhǎo 找 to look for + dào 到 [attain the expected result]) find

Wǒ zhǎodào Lǐ Xiānsheng le.
我找到李先生了。
I have found Mr. Li.

Example 2:
mǎidào 买到 (mǎi 买 to buy + dào 到 [attain the expected result]) succeed in buying

Wǒ qùwǎn le. Méi yǒu mǎidào diànyǐng piào.
我去晚了。没有买到电影票。
I was late./ I got there late. [So,] I did not manage to get the movie tickets.

-dào 到 (2) : reach or arrive at (a place or a point of time)

  1. zǒudào 走到 walk to /until/up to
  2. pǎodào 跑到 run to /until/up to
  3. xuédào 学到 study until/up to,
  4. shuìdào 睡到 sleep until/up to
  5. mángdào 忙到 be busy until/up to
  6. kàndào 看到 read or watch until/up to
  7. tīngdào 听到 listen until/up to
  8. etc.

Example 1:
xuédào 学到 (xué 学 to study + dào 到 until/up to) study until/up to

Wǒmen xuédào Dì Bā Kè le
我们学到第八课了。
We have studied up to Lesson 8 so far.

Example 2:

Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒmen xué Zhōngwén xuédào shíyī diǎn.
昨天晚上我们学中文学到十一点。
We studied Chinese until 11 o 'clock last night.

-zhá 着 implying that an action has attained the expected aim or result

  1. zhǎozháo 找着 find (找着 is the same as zhǎodào 找到.)
  2. shuìzháo 睡着 fall asleep (not the same as 睡到)
  3. etc.

Example:
shuìzháo 睡着 (shuì 睡 to sleep + zháo 着[attain the expected result]) fall asleep

Háizi-men dōu shuìzháo le.
孩子们都睡着了。
The children have all fallen asleep.

-zhù 住 has the meaning of retaining or keeping something at a certain place as the result of the action

  1. jìzhù 记住 remember; learn by heart; bear in mind
  2. názhù 拿住 hold in place by hand(s)
  3. etc.

Example:
jìzhù 记住 (jì 记 to remember + zhù 住 retain/keep) learn by heart, bear in mind

Tā-de dìzhǐ wǒ méi jìzhù.
他的地址我没记住。
I did not learn his address by heart.

-dǒng 懂 understand; comprehend

  1. kàndǒng 看懂 understand by reading/looking
  2. tīngdǒng 听懂 understand by listening
  3. etc.

Example:
tīngdǒng 听懂 (tīng 听 to listen + dǒng 懂 understand) understand by listening

Nǐ-de huà wǒ méi tīngdǒng. Néng bù néng zài shuō yí biàn.
你的话我没听懂。能不能再说一遍？
I did not understand what you said. Can you say it again?

-kāi 开 to be open as a result of opening

  1. dǎkāi 打开 to open
  2. kāikāi 开开 to open
  3. etc.

Example:
kāikāi 开开 (kāi 开 to open + kāi 开 being open) to make ... open
Qǐng bǎ mén kāikāi.

请把门开开。
Please open the door.

-huì 会 know how to do something/master a skill through the action

xuéhuì 学会 learn; master

Example:
xuéhuì 学会 (xué 学 to learn + huì 会 know how to) learn; master

Wǒ xuéhuì kāichē le.
我学会开车了。
I have learnt how to drive a car.

-zài 在 located at a place as a result of the action

  1. fàngzài 放在 put at; to be put at
  2. zhùzài 住在 to live at ...
  3. zuòzài 坐在 to sit at
  4. zhànzài 站在 stand at
  5. xiězài 写在 write on
  6. guàzài 挂在 hang on
  7. etc.

Example:
zhànzài 站在 (zhàn 站 to stand + zài 在 at) to stand at a place

Tiānqi zhème lěng, bié zhànzài wàitou.
天气这么冷，别站在外头。
It is so cold, don't stand outside.

-gěi 给 to (pointing out the recipient)

  1. sònggěi 送给 to give to
  2. jìgěi 寄给 to send to
  3. jiègěi 借给 to lend to
  4. màigěi 卖给 to sell to
  5. etc.

Example:
jiègěi 借给 (jiè 借 to lend + gěi 给 to) to lend to
Tā jiègěi wǒ yì běn shū.

他借给我一本书。
He lent me a book.

-chéng 成 become; as

  1. fānyìchéng 翻译成 to translate into
  2. biànchéng 变成 to change into
  3. kànchéng 看成 to regard as; to recognize ... mistakenly as ...
  4. tīngchéng 听成 to hear ... mistakenly as ...
  5. xiěchéng 写成 to write ... mistakenly as ...; to adapt...into
  6. etc.

Example:
xiěchéng 写成 (xiě 写 to write + chéng 成 become) to write ... mistakenly as ...; to adapt...into

Wǒ bǎ “tiān” xiěchéng “fū” le.
我把“天”写成“夫”了。
I wrote 夫 instead of 天.
  1. -zuò 作
  2. kànzuò 看作 to regard as ...
  3. dāngzuò 当作 to regard as ...
  4. etc.

Example:
dāngzuò 当作 to regard as ...

Wáng tàitai bǎ wǒ dāngzuò zìjǐ-de érzi.
王太太把我当作自己的儿子。
Mrs. Wang regards me as her own son.

-zǒu 走 away

  1. názǒu 拿走 to take away
  2. bānzǒu 搬走 to move away
  3. sòngzǒu 送走 to see off
  4. dàizǒu 带走 to take away
  5. etc.

Example:
bānzǒu 搬走 (bān 搬 to move + zǒu 走 away) to move away

Lǎo Zhāng jiā bānzǒu le.
老张家搬走了。
The Old Zhangs moved away.

-sǐ 死 death; (exaggeration indicating extreme)

  1. lèisǐ 累死 extremely tired; tired to death
  2. rèsǐ 热死 extremely hot; deathly hot
  3. èsǐ 饿死 starving; extremely hungry
  4. etc.

Example:
rèsǐ 热死 (rè 热 hot + sǐ 死 death) extremely hot

Tiānqi rèsǐ le.
天气热死了。
The weather is extremely hot.