Advanced resultatives: 住/成/开/清楚
A result complement is a word placed right after a verb to say what the action achieved, and at HSK 4 the main new ones are 住 (held fast), 成 (turned into), 开 (opened apart) and 清楚 (clearly). 记住 means remember and 看清楚 means see clearly.
| Complement | Core meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 住 | fixed / stopped | 抓住 (caught), 记住 (memorised) |
| 成 | transformed into | 变成 (became), 翻译成 (translated into) |
| 开 | separated / opened | 打开 (opened), 分开 (separated) |
| 清楚 | clearly / distinctly | 说清楚 (explained clearly), 看清楚 (saw clearly) |
Negative potential: V不住/不成/不开/不清楚 = cannot achieve that result.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 那个单词很难，我总是记不住。 | Nà gè dān cí hěn nán, wǒ zǒng shì jì bù zhù. | That word is very hard; I can never memorise it. | 记住 = memorise (fixed in memory); 记不住 = potential negative: cannot memorise |
| 请把你的想法说清楚，大家才能理解。 | Qǐng bǎ nǐ de xiǎng fǎ shuō qīng chǔ, dà jiā cái néng lǐ jiě. | Please explain your ideas clearly so everyone can understand. | 说清楚 = speak until clear; result-oriented (the result is clarity) |
| 经过几年的努力，他终于把梦想变成了现实。 | Jīng guò jǐ nián de nǔ lì, tā zhōng yú bǎ mèng xiǎng biàn chéng le xiàn shí. | After years of effort, he finally turned his dream into reality. | 变成 = transform into (成 marks the new state achieved) |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
住 (zhù)
A result complement meaning fixed, held or stopped in place.
Structure: V + 住 (+ object); 把 + object + V + 住
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 请你拿住这个包。 | Qǐng nǐ ná zhù zhè ge bāo. | Please hold this bag. |
| 路上很滑，他没站住，摔倒了。 | Lù shang hěn huá, tā méi zhàn zhù, shuāi dǎo le. | The road was slippery; he could not stay standing and fell. |
| 这个电话号码我已经记住了。 | Zhè ge diàn huà hào mǎ wǒ yǐ jīng jì zhù le. | I have already memorised this phone number. |
Not: 我记了住电话号码。 The complement sits right after the verb, so 了 comes after it: 记住了。
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 3, complement (结果补语).
住 is also explained in: Result Complements: V+到/住/走 (HSK 3).
成 (chéng)
A result complement meaning turned into, followed by what it became.
Structure: V + 成 + new thing; 把 + object + V + 成 + new thing
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 请把这块蛋糕切成四块。 | Qǐng bǎ zhè kuài dàn gāo qiē chéng sì kuài. | Please cut this cake into four pieces. |
| 雨水变成了冰。 | Yǔ shuǐ biàn chéng le bīng. | The rainwater turned into ice. |
| 我们把房间改成了书房。 | Wǒ men bǎ fáng jiān gǎi chéng le shū fáng. | We turned the room into a study. |
Not: 他变了成大人。 成 sits directly after the verb and 了 follows 成: 变成了。
开 (kāi)
A result complement meaning open, apart or away.
Structure: V + 开; 把 + object + V + 开
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 请把窗户打开。 | Qǐng bǎ chuāng hu dǎ kāi. | Please open the window. |
| 我们毕业后就分开了。 | Wǒ men bì yè hòu jiù fēn kāi le. | We went our separate ways after graduating. |
| 请把书翻开到第十页。 | Qǐng bǎ shū fān kāi dào dì shí yè. | Please open the book to page ten. |
Not: 请把门开打。 The verb comes first and 开 is the complement: 打开。
清楚 (qīng chu)
A result complement meaning clearly, so that the result is distinct.
Structure: V + 清楚; V + 不 + 清楚
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这个字太小，我看不清楚。 | Zhè ge zì tài xiǎo, wǒ kàn bu qīng chu. | This character is too small; I cannot see it clearly. |
| 你能再说清楚一点吗？ | Nǐ néng zài shuō qīng chu yì diǎn ma? | Can you explain it a bit more clearly? |
| 他没听清楚老师的问题。 | Tā méi tīng qīng chu lǎo shī de wèn tí. | He did not hear the teacher's question clearly. |
Not: 我听清楚不了。 The negative potential is 听不清楚, with 不 between the verb and the complement.
清楚 is also explained in: Result Complements: 错/懂/好/完/清楚 (HSK 2).
Compared side by side: 记住 vs 记得.
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
Questions about Advanced resultatives
What does 进阶结果补语 (Advanced resultatives) mean in Chinese?
A result complement is a word placed right after a verb to say what the action achieved, and at HSK 4 the main new ones are 住 (held fast), 成 (turned into), 开 (opened apart) and 清楚 (clearly). 记住 means remember and 看清楚 means see clearly. It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 进阶结果补语 (Advanced resultatives) in a sentence?
那个单词很难，我总是记不住。 — Nà gè dān cí hěn nán, wǒ zǒng shì jì bù zhù. — That word is very hard; I can never memorise it. 记住 = memorise (fixed in memory); 记不住 = potential negative: cannot memorise.
What do you need to know before 进阶结果补语 (Advanced resultatives)?
Resultative complements (HSK 4), Result Complements (HSK 3). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What is the difference between 记住 and 记得?
记住 is to commit something to memory: 我记住了他的名字. 记得 is to still remember it: 我还记得他的名字。
How do I say I cannot do it with these complements?
Put 不 between the verb and the complement: 记不住, 看不清楚, 打不开, 变不成。
Advanced resultatives is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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