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Potential complement
====================
[](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/ASGCPJPQ)
-
Level
[B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points)
-
Similar to
- [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)
-
Used for
[Describing
actions](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Describing_actions)
-
Keywords
[得](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%BE%97),
[不](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D)
[{width="300"
height="300"}](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/File:Chinese-grammar-wiki-de-2.jpg)
Contents
--------
[hide]([# "wikilink")\]
- [1 Affirmative
Form](#Affirmative_Form "wikilink")
- [1.1
Structure](#Structure "wikilink")
- [1.2
Examples](#Examples "wikilink")
- [2 Negative
Form](#Negative_Form "wikilink")
- [2.1
Structure](#Structure_2 "wikilink")
- [2.2
Examples](#Examples_2 "wikilink")
- [3 Potential
Complement with
Objects](#Potential_Complement_with_Objects "wikilink")
- [4 Advanced
Potential
Complements](#Advanced_Potential_Complements "wikilink")
- [5 See
also](#See_also "wikilink")
- [6 Sources and
and further
reading](#Sources_and_and_further_reading "wikilink")
- [6.1
Books](#Books "wikilink")
- [6.2
Websites](#Websites "wikilink")
- [6.2.1
Yale](#Yale "wikilink")
Subj. + Verb + 得 + Complement
### Examples
- 你 没 戴 眼镜 ，看 *得* **清楚** 吗 ？Nǐ méi
dài yǎnjìng, kàn *de* **qīngchu** ma?You
didn't wear glasses. Can you see things clearly?
- 他 这么 粗心 ，做 *得* **好** 吗 ？Tā zhème
cūxīn, zuò *de* **hǎo** ma?He'a
so careless. Can he do it well?
- 你 这么 聪明 ，肯定 学 *得* **会** 。Nǐ zhème
cōngming, kěndìng xué *de* **huì**.You're
so smart. You can definitely learn this.
- 早上 五点 出发 ，孩子们 起 *得* **来** 吗
？Zǎoshang wǔdiǎn chūfā, háizi men qǐ *de*
**lái** ma? We're leaving at five a.m..
Will the kids be able to get up?
- 这么 高 的 山 ，你 爬 *得* **上去** 吗 ？Zhème
gāo de shān, nǐ pá *de* **shàngqù** ma?
The mountain is so high. Can you make it
to the top?
Negative Form
-----------------------------------------------------------------
### Structure
Subj. + Verb + 不 + Complement
### Examples
- 你 的 声音 太 小 了 ，我们 听 *不* **见** 。Nǐ
de shēngyīn tài xiǎo le, wǒmen tīng *bu*
**jiàn**.Your voice is too soft. We can't
hear you.
- 这里 太 暗 了 ，我 看 *不* **清楚** 。Zhèlǐ tài
àn le, wǒ kàn *bu* **qīngchu**.It's too
dim here. I can't see clearly.
- 这个 自行车 太 破 了 ，谁 都 修 *不* **好**
。Zhège zìxíngchē tài pò le, shéi dōu xiū *bu*
**hǎo** .This bike is so broken. Nobody
can fix it.
- 她 的 腿 受伤 了 ，站 *不* **起来** 了 。Tā de
tuǐ shòushāng le, zhàn *bu* **qǐlái**
le.Her leg is injured. She can't
stand.
- 包 太 小 了 ，手机 放 *不* **进去** 。Bāo tài
xiǎo le, shǒujī fàng *bu* **jìnqù**.The
bag is too small. I can't fit the cell phone in it.
Potential Complement with Objects
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objects in sentences with potential complements can occur either after
the complement or at the beginning of a sentence.
A few examples:
- 你 听 *得* **懂** 上海话 吗 ？Nǐ tīng *de*
**dǒng** Shànghǎi-huà ma?Can you
understand Shanghai dialect?
- 她 这么 小 ，看 *得* **懂** 这 本 书 吗 ？Tā
zhème xiǎo, kàn *de* **dǒng** zhè běn shū
ma?She's so young. Can she really
understand this book?
- 我怕 我 做 *不* **好** 这份 工作 。Wǒ pà wǒ zuò
*bu* **hǎo** zhè fèn gōngzuò.I'm afraid
that I can't do this job well.
- 这 种 手机 现在 买 *不* **到** 了 。Zhè zhǒng
shǒujī xiànzài mǎi *bu* **dào** le.You
can't buy this type of cell phone now.
- 这本书 我 一个星期 肯定 看 *得* **完** 。Zhè
běn shū wǒ yī gè xīngiqī kěndìng kàn *de*
**wán**.I can definitely finish reading
this book within one week.
Advanced Potential Complements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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).
See also
-------------------------------------------------------
- [Result
complements](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Result_complements)
- [Advanced potential
complements](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Advanced_potential_complements)
Sources and and further reading
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### Books
- [Basic Patterns of Chinese
Grammar](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Basic_Patterns_of_Chinese_Grammar) (pp.
71) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2ykU1OD)
- [Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical
Guide](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Modern_Mandarin_Chinese_Grammar:_A_Practical_Guide) (pp.
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
Grammar (语法精讲精炼)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Practicing_HSK_Grammar_(%E8%AF%AD%E6%B3%95%E7%B2%BE%E8%AE%B2%E7%B2%BE%E7%82%BC)) (pp.
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)
### Websites
#### Yale
- [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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points](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Category:B1_grammar_points)
- [Potential
complement](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Category:Potential_complement)
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