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Potential complement
====================
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Similar to
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- [Potential complement "-bu dong" for not
understanding](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Potential_complement_%22-bu_dong%22_for_not_understanding) (A2)
- [Direction
complement](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Direction_complement) (B1)
- [Advanced potential
complements](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Advanced_potential_complements) (B2)
- [Advanced result
complements](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Advanced_result_complements) (B2)
- [Using "zhao" as
complement](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_%22zhao%22_as_complement) (B2)
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Used for
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[Describing
actions](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Describing_actions)
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Keywords
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[得](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%BE%97),
[不](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D)
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Verbs can take **potential complements** that indicate whether or not
the action is actually possible. They are useful in Chinese to say if an
action can take place.
<div id="toc" class="toc">
<div id="toctitle">
Contents
--------
<span class="toctoggle"> [hide]([# "wikilink")\] </span>
</div>
- [<span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Affirmative
Form</span>](#Affirmative_Form "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">1.1</span>
<span class="toctext">Structure</span>](#Structure "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">1.2</span>
<span class="toctext">Examples</span>](#Examples "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Negative
Form</span>](#Negative_Form "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">2.1</span>
<span class="toctext">Structure</span>](#Structure_2 "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">2.2</span>
<span class="toctext">Examples</span>](#Examples_2 "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Potential
Complement with
Objects</span>](#Potential_Complement_with_Objects "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Advanced
Potential
Complements</span>](#Advanced_Potential_Complements "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">See
also</span>](#See_also "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">Sources and
and further
reading</span>](#Sources_and_and_further_reading "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">6.1</span>
<span class="toctext">Books</span>](#Books "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">6.2</span>
<span class="toctext">Websites</span>](#Websites "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">6.2.1</span>
<span class="toctext">Yale</span>](#Yale "wikilink")
</div>
<span id="Affirmative_Form" class="mw-headline">Affirmative Form</span>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Structurally, potential complements are closely related to both [result
complements](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Result_complement)
and [direction
complements](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Direction_complement),
so it helps to be familiar with those first. The most important and
commonly used potential complements are derived from other complements
such as the following:
- Verb +
[见](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E8%A7%81) e.g.
看见, 听见 (result complements)
- Verb +
[懂](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%87%82) e.g.
看懂, 听懂 (result complements)
- Verb +
[完](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%AE%8C) e.g.
吃完, 做完, 用完, 花完 (result complements)
- Verb +
[Adj.](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Adjective) e.g.
看清楚, 听明白, 洗干净 (result complements)
- Verb +
[到](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%88%B0) e.g.
找到, 买到, 收到 (result complements)
- Verb + Direction e.g. 上来, 下去, 进去, 起来, 走过去, 爬上去
(direction complements)
Potential complements can be positive or negative. What this means is
fairly intuitive - potential complements can be used to express that
something *can* happen or that it *can't*.
### <span id="Structure" class="mw-headline">Structure</span>
<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + Verb + 得 + Complement
</div>
### <span id="Examples" class="mw-headline">Examples</span>
<div class="liju">
- 你 没 戴 眼镜 ，看 *得* **清楚** 吗 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ méi
dài yǎnjìng, kàn *de* **qīngchu** ma?</span><span class="trans">You
didn't wear glasses. Can you see things clearly?</span>
- 他 这么 粗心 ，做 *得* **好** 吗 ？<span class="pinyin">Tā zhème
cūxīn, zuò *de* **hǎo** ma?</span><span class="trans">He'a
so careless. Can he do it well?</span>
- 你 这么 聪明 ，肯定 学 *得* **会** 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhème
cōngming, kěndìng xué *de* **huì**.</span><span class="trans">You're
so smart. You can definitely learn this.</span>
- 早上 五点 出发 ，孩子们 起 *得* **来** 吗
？<span class="pinyin">Zǎoshang wǔdiǎn chūfā, háizi men qǐ *de*
**lái** ma?</span> <span class="trans">We're leaving at five a.m..
Will the kids be able to get up?</span>
- 这么 高 的 山 ，你 爬 *得* **上去** 吗 ？<span class="pinyin">Zhème
gāo de shān, nǐ pá *de* **shàngqù** ma?
</span><span class="trans">The mountain is so high. Can you make it
to the top?</span>
</div>
<span id="Negative_Form" class="mw-headline">Negative Form</span>
-----------------------------------------------------------------
### <span id="Structure_2" class="mw-headline">Structure</span>
<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + Verb + 不 + Complement
</div>
### <span id="Examples_2" class="mw-headline">Examples</span>
<div class="liju">
- 你 的 声音 太 小 了 ，我们 听 *不* **见** 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ
de shēngyīn tài xiǎo le, wǒmen tīng *bu*
**jiàn**.</span><span class="trans">Your voice is too soft. We can't
hear you.</span>
- 这里 太 暗 了 ，我 看 *不* **清楚** 。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ tài
àn le, wǒ kàn *bu* **qīngchu**.</span><span class="trans">It's too
dim here. I can't see clearly.</span>
- 这个 自行车 太 破 了 ，谁 都 修 *不* **好**
。<span class="pinyin">Zhège zìxíngchē tài pò le, shéi dōu xiū *bu*
**hǎo** .</span><span class="trans">This bike is so broken. Nobody
can fix it.</span>
- 她 的 腿 受伤 了 ，站 *不* **起来** 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tā de
tuǐ shòushāng le, zhàn *bu* **qǐlái**
le.</span><span class="trans">Her leg is injured. She can't
stand.</span>
- 包 太 小 了 ，手机 放 *不* **进去** 。<span class="pinyin">Bāo tài
xiǎo le, shǒujī fàng *bu* **jìnqù**.</span><span class="trans">The
bag is too small. I can't fit the cell phone in it.</span>
</div>
<span id="Potential_Complement_with_Objects" class="mw-headline">Potential Complement with Objects</span>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objects in sentences with potential complements can occur either after
the complement or at the beginning of a sentence.
A few examples:
<div class="liju">
- 你 听 *得* **懂** 上海话 吗 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ tīng *de*
**dǒng** Shànghǎi-huà ma?</span><span class="trans">Can you
understand Shanghai dialect?</span>
- 她 这么 小 ，看 *得* **懂** 这 本 书 吗 ？<span class="pinyin">Tā
zhème xiǎo, kàn *de* **dǒng** zhè běn shū
ma?</span><span class="trans">She's so young. Can she really
understand this book?</span>
- 我怕 我 做 *不* **好** 这份 工作 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ pà wǒ zuò
*bu* **hǎo** zhè fèn gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">I'm afraid
that I can't do this job well.</span>
- 这 种 手机 现在 买 *不* **到** 了 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè zhǒng
shǒujī xiànzài mǎi *bu* **dào** le.</span><span class="trans">You
can't buy this type of cell phone now.</span>
- 这本书 我 一个星期 肯定 看 *得* **完** 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè
běn shū wǒ yī gè xīngiqī kěndìng kàn *de*
**wán**.</span><span class="trans">I can definitely finish reading
this book within one week.</span>
</div>
<span id="Advanced_Potential_Complements" class="mw-headline">Advanced Potential Complements</span>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are actually quite a few potential complements out there, and this
article touches on some of the simplest and most common ones. Be aware
that there are many more, but they all follow the same basic pattern
outlined here. You can also see our article on [advanced potential
complements](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Advanced_potential_complements).
<span id="See_also" class="mw-headline">See also</span>
-------------------------------------------------------
- [Result
complements](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Result_complements)
- [Advanced potential
complements](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Advanced_potential_complements)
<span id="Sources_and_and_further_reading" class="mw-headline">Sources and and further reading</span>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### <span id="Books" class="mw-headline">Books</span>
- [Basic Patterns of Chinese
Grammar](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Basic_Patterns_of_Chinese_Grammar) (pp.
71) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2ykU1OD)
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191) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2xCpX2m)
- [Boya Chinese Elementary Starter
1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Boya_Chinese_Elementary_Starter_1_(%E5%8D%9A%E9%9B%85%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%88%9D%E7%BB%8F%E8%B5%B7%E6%AD%A5%E7%AF%87)) (pp.
197) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2hbyxKi)
- [Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part
2](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_2) (pp.
291) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2femBuy)
- [Practicing HSK
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125)
[→buy](http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001N6R7DI&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001N6R7DI)
- [Contemporary Chinese
2 (当代中文2)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Contemporary_Chinese_2_(%E5%BD%93%E4%BB%A3%E4%B8%AD%E6%96%872)) (pp.
63)
[→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7800529029/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7800529029)
- [New Practical Chinese Reader
3 (新实用汉语课本3)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_3_(%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%9E%E7%94%A8%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%BE%E6%9C%AC3)) (pp.
99)
[→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/756191251X/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=756191251X)
### <span id="Websites" class="mw-headline">Websites</span>
#### <span id="Yale" class="mw-headline">Yale</span>
- [The Potential
Complement](http://comet.cls.yale.edu/mandarin/content/potential/grammar/potential.htm)
- [Potential Complement And Degree Complement In
Contrast](http://comet.cls.yale.edu/mandarin/content/degree/grammar/Degree-6.htm)
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