Degree complement: V得+predicate
A degree complement follows 得 after a verb and says how well or to what degree the action is done, as in 她说得很流利. When the verb has an object, the verb is repeated before 得: 她说中文说得很流利.
Structure: Verb + 得 + Degree expression
> 她说得很流利。(She speaks very fluently.)
With an object: repeat the verb before 得:
> 她说中文说得很流利。✅
> ❌ 她说中文得很流利。
Negation: insert 不 before the degree:
> 他写得不太好。(He doesn't write very well.)
Question: V 得 怎么样? or V 得 好不好?
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 他跑得很快。 | Tā pǎo de hěn kuài. | He runs very fast. | Minimal frame: V得 + adjective |
| 你中文说得真不错，在哪儿学的？ | Nǐ Zhōngwén shuō de zhēn bùcuò, zài nǎr xué de? | Your Chinese is really good — where did you learn it? | Object (中文) before the repeated verb (说) + 得 |
| 她做菜做得让大家都赞不绝口。 | Tā zuò cài zuò de ràng dàjiā dōu zàn bù jué kǒu. | She cooks so well that everyone can't stop praising her. | Degree clause is a full sentence (让大家…) — higher complexity |
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.
得 (de)
Links the verb to a phrase that tells how well or how much the action is done.
Structure: verb + 得 + degree phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 弟弟吃得太快了。 | Dì di chī de tài kuài le. | My younger brother eats too fast. |
| 她唱歌唱得特别好听。 | Tā chàng gē chàng de tè bié hǎo tīng. | She sings especially nicely. |
| 昨天我睡得不太好。 | Zuó tiān wǒ shuì de bú tài hǎo. | I did not sleep very well last night. |
Not: 她唱歌得很好听。 With an object, repeat the verb: 她唱歌唱得很好听 (or 她歌唱得很好听).
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, particles (结构助词); level 3, verbs (能愿动词).
得 is also explained in: Degree Complements: 动词+得+形容词 (runs fast, plays happily) (HSK 2) · Structural Particle 得: State Complement (HSK 2) · Extended Comparison Patterns: A比B V得Adj (HSK 3) · Potential Complements: V+得/不+V/Adj (HSK 3) · 得 (děi): obligation must (HSK 4) · Potential complements: V得/不C (HSK 4) · Degree & State Complements: 不得了、坏了、得+phrase (HSK 5) · Potential Complements: V+得/不得 (HSK 5).
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.
What this opens up
These patterns list Degree complement among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Degree complement
What does 程度补语 (Degree complement) mean in Chinese?
A degree complement follows 得 after a verb and says how well or to what degree the action is done, as in 她说得很流利. When the verb has an object, the verb is repeated before 得: 她说中文说得很流利. It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 程度补语 (Degree complement) in a sentence?
他跑得很快。 — Tā pǎo de hěn kuài. — He runs very fast. Minimal frame: V得 + adjective.
What do you need to know before 程度补语 (Degree complement)?
Degree 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 does 程度补语 (Degree complement) lead to?
Complement types (HSK 4), Degree & State Complements (HSK 5). Each of them names 程度补语 (Degree complement) among its own prerequisites.
Why do I repeat the verb in 她说汉语说得很好?
得 must come right after a verb, and the first verb is already followed by its object. So the verb is repeated: 说汉语说得很好. You may also move the object first: 汉语说得很好.
How do I say someone does something badly with 得?
Put 不 before the degree word: 他写得不好. For a stronger complaint use 很差 or 太慢了, as in 他开车开得太慢了.
Degree complement 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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