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= Potential complement =


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<li>[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Potential_complement_%22-bu_dong%22_for_not_understanding Potential complement &quot;-bu dong&quot; for not understanding] (A2)</li>
<li>[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Direction_complement Direction complement] (B1)</li>
<li>[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Advanced_potential_complements Advanced potential complements] (B2)</li>
<li>[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Advanced_result_complements Advanced result complements] (B2)</li>
<li>[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_%22zhao%22_as_complement Using &quot;zhao&quot; as complement] (B2)</li></ul>


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[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Describing_actions Describing actions]

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[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%BE%97 得], [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D 不]

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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.

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== Contents ==

<span class="toctoggle"> [[[#|hide]]] </span>

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* [[#Affirmative_Form|<span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Affirmative Form</span>]]
** [[#Structure|<span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">Structure</span>]]
** [[#Examples|<span class="tocnumber">1.2</span> <span class="toctext">Examples</span>]]
* [[#Negative_Form|<span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Negative Form</span>]]
** [[#Structure_2|<span class="tocnumber">2.1</span> <span class="toctext">Structure</span>]]
** [[#Examples_2|<span class="tocnumber">2.2</span> <span class="toctext">Examples</span>]]
* [[#Potential_Complement_with_Objects|<span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Potential Complement with Objects</span>]]
* [[#Advanced_Potential_Complements|<span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Advanced Potential Complements</span>]]
* [[#See_also|<span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span>]]
* [[#Sources_and_and_further_reading|<span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">Sources and and further reading</span>]]
** [[#Books|<span class="tocnumber">6.1</span> <span class="toctext">Books</span>]]
** [[#Websites|<span class="tocnumber">6.2</span> <span class="toctext">Websites</span>]]
*** [[#Yale|<span class="tocnumber">6.2.1</span> <span class="toctext">Yale</span>]]


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== <span id="Affirmative_Form" class="mw-headline">Affirmative Form</span> ==

Structurally, potential complements are closely related to both [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Result_complement result complements] and [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Direction_complement direction complements], 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 + [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E8%A7%81 见] e.g. 看见, 听见 (result complements)
* Verb + [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%87%82 懂] e.g. 看懂, 听懂 (result complements)
* Verb + [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%AE%8C 完] e.g. 吃完, 做完, 用完, 花完 (result complements)
* Verb + [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Adjective Adj.] e.g. 看清楚, 听明白, 洗干净 (result complements)
* Verb + [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%88%B0 到] 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


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=== <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 [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Advanced_potential_complements advanced potential complements].

== <span id="See_also" class="mw-headline">See also</span> ==

* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Result_complements Result complements]
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Advanced_potential_complements 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> ===

* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Basic_Patterns_of_Chinese_Grammar Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar] (pp. 71) [http://amzn.to/2ykU1OD →buy]
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Modern_Mandarin_Chinese_Grammar:_A_Practical_Guide Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide] (pp. 191) [http://amzn.to/2xCpX2m →buy]
* [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) Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)] (pp. 197) [http://amzn.to/2hbyxKi →buy]
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_2 Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2] (pp. 291) [http://amzn.to/2femBuy →buy]
* [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) Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼)] (pp. 125) [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 →buy]
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Contemporary_Chinese_2_(%E5%BD%93%E4%BB%A3%E4%B8%AD%E6%96%872) Contemporary Chinese 2 (当代中文2)] (pp. 63) [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 →buy]
* [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) New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3)] (pp. 99) [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 →buy]

=== <span id="Websites" class="mw-headline">Websites</span> ===

==== <span id="Yale" class="mw-headline">Yale</span> ====

* [http://comet.cls.yale.edu/mandarin/content/potential/grammar/potential.htm The Potential Complement]
* [http://comet.cls.yale.edu/mandarin/content/degree/grammar/Degree-6.htm Potential Complement And Degree Complement In Contrast]

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