ChineseGrammarWiki/MD/A2/77.mw

{{Grammar Box}} 

Two of the most common result complements in Chinese are 到 (dào) and 见 (jiàn). On this page we're only going to be talking about verbs related to the senses ("see," "hear," etc.), and for this usage, the two are interchangeable.

== Verbs with 到 (dào) and 见 (jiàn) ==

=== Structure ===

[[Result complement]]s are a huge topic in Chinese grammar, but you can approach them in stages. The structure you come across the most is a verb with 到 (dào):

<div class="jiegou">

Subj. + Verb + 到 + Obj.

</div>

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 (kàndào), "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.

The complement 见 (jiàn) is very similar to 到 (dào), and it is used in the same way:

<div class="jiegou">

Subj. + Verb + 见 + Obj.

</div>

However, there is a difference.  见 (jiàn) is generally ''only'' used after verbs involving one of the senses, like 听 (tīng) and 看 (kàn), whereas 到 (dào) can be attached to a large variety of verbs, which we will discuss [[Tricky uses of "dao"|at a higher level later]].

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">

* 你 <strong>看</strong> <em>见</em> 那 个 帅哥 了 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>kàn</strong><em>jiàn</em> nàge shuàigē le ma?</span>
* 你 <strong>看</strong><em>到</em> 那 个 帅哥 了 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>kàn</strong><em>dào</em> nàge shuàigē le ma?</span><span class="trans">Did you see that handsome guy?</span>

</div>

<div class="liju">

* 我 <strong>看</strong> <em>见</em> 了 。 <span class="expl">We didn't say what "I" saw; you have to infer it from the context.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>kàn</strong><em>jiàn</em> le.</span> 
* 我 <strong>看</strong> <em>到</em> 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>kàn</strong><em>dào</em> le.</span><span class="trans">I saw it.</span>

</div>

<div class="liju">

* 你 <strong>听</strong> <em>见</em> 了 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>tīng</strong><em>jiàn</em> le ma?</span>
* 你 <strong>听</strong> <em>到</em> 了 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>tīng</strong><em>dào</em> le ma?</span><span class="trans">Did you hear it?</span>

</div>

== Negative Forms ==

=== Structure ===

<div class="jiegou">

Subj. + 没 + Verb + 到 / 见 + Obj.

</div>

This structure can be negated using 没 (méi) on 没有 (méiyǒu). This is because if there is a result, then it already happened. And you need to [[Negation of "you" with "mei"|use 没 (méi) to negate past events]], not 不 (bù).

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">

* 你 <strong>没</strong> 看 <em>到</em> 那 个 帅哥 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>méi</strong> kàn<em>dào</em> nàge shuàigē ma?</span>
* 你 <strong>没</strong> 看 <em>见</em> 那 个 帅哥 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>méi</strong> kàn<em>jiàn</em> nàge shuàigē ma?</span><span class="trans">You didn't see that handsome guy?</span>

</div>

<div class="liju">

* 我 <strong>没有</strong> 看 <em>到</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>méiyǒu</strong> kàn<em>dào</em>.</span>
* 我 <strong>没有</strong> 看 <em>见</em> 。 <span class="expl">We didn't say what "I" didn't see; you have to infer it from the context.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>méiyǒu</strong> kàn<em>jiàn</em>.</span><span class="trans">I didn't see it.</span>

</div>

<div class="liju">

* 你 <strong>没</strong> 听 <em>到</em> 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>méi</strong> tīng<em>dào</em> ma?</span>
* 你 <strong>没</strong> 听 <em>见</em> 吗 ？  <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>méi</strong> tīng<em>jiàn</em> ma?</span><span class="trans">You didn't hear it?</span>

</div>

[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
[[Category:Result complement]]

==See also==

* [[Result complement "-wan" for finishing]]
* [[Result complement "-qilai"]]
* [[Result complement "-cuo"]]

== Sources and further reading ==

=== Books ===

* [[Short-term Spoken Chinese: Threshold Vol. 2 (汉语口语入门篇下)]] (p. 92) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561913656/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561913656 →buy]
* [[Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar]] (p. 109) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1933330899 →buy]
*[[40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）]] (pp. 205-6)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20 →buy] 

{{Basic Grammar|到|A2|Verb + 到 / 见|听 <em>到</em> 了 吗？|grammar point|ASGWNGEP}}
{{Rel char|见}}
{{Similar|Further Uses of Resultative Complement "qilai"}}
{{Similar|"-wan" result complement}}
{{Similar|Result complement "-qilai"}}
{{Similar|Result complement "-cuo"}}
{{Similar|Tricky uses of "dao"}}
{{Used for|Expressing result}}
{{Structure|Complements}}
{{Subprop|Result complement}}