Degree & State Complements: 不得了、坏了、得+phrase
A degree complement follows a verb or adjective with 得 or a fixed ending to say how extreme something is. 高兴得不得了 means extremely happy, 累坏了 means worn out, and 得 followed by a phrase can describe the resulting state.
Adj/V + 坏了 = so...that it's awful (negative extreme, attaches directly, no 得).
他气坏了。(He was furious.)
Adj/V + 得 + descriptive clause = so...that [a specific result follows]. The clause after 得 can have its own subject.
他忙得连喝水的时间都没有。(He was so busy he didn't even have time to drink water.)
Common mistake: using 很/地 instead of 得 before the result clause — 得 is required to connect the adjective/verb to the following description.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 她激动得不得了。 | Tā jī dòng de bù dé liǎo. | She was extremely excited. | 得不得了: fixed extreme-degree phrase attached with 得. |
| 今天热坏了，大家都不想出门。 | Jīn tiān rè huài le, dà jiā dōu bù xiǎng chū mén. | It was scorching hot today — nobody wanted to go out. | 坏了 attaches directly to the adjective (热), no 得 needed. |
| 他委屈得说不出话来。 | Tā wěi qu de shuō bu chū huà lái. | He felt so wronged that he couldn't say a word. | 得 + descriptive clause (说不出话来) — a specific result, not just a degree word. |
| 听到这个消息，她的情绪激动得不得了，痛苦得眼泪都流下来了。 | Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā de qíng xù jī dòng de bù dé liǎo, tòng kǔ de yǎn lèi dōu liú xià lái le. | Hearing the news, her emotions were extremely stirred up, and she was in so much pain that tears streamed down. | Combines 得不得了 and 得+clause in one sentence, with emotion vocabulary (情绪/痛苦). |
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.
不得了 (bù dé liǎo)
Follows 得 to show an extreme degree.
Structure: adjective or verb + 得 + 不得了
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我昨晚没睡好，困得不得了。 | Wǒ zuó wǎn méi shuì hǎo, kùn de bù dé liǎo. | I did not sleep well last night, and I am extremely sleepy. |
| 这家店的生意好得不得了。 | Zhè jiā diàn de shēng yì hǎo de bù dé liǎo. | This shop does extremely good business. |
| 她紧张得不得了，手一直在发抖。 | Tā jǐn zhāng de bù dé liǎo, shǒu yì zhí zài fā dǒu. | She was extremely nervous, and her hands kept trembling. |
Not: 他累不得了。 不得了 needs 得 before it: 他累得不得了。
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 5, set phrases (其他).
不得了 is also explained in: Fixed Phrases: 不得了、用不着、得了 (HSK 5).
坏了 (huài le)
Attaches directly to an adjective to say someone is miserably extreme in a feeling.
Structure: adjective + 坏了
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我饿坏了，快点开饭吧。 | Wǒ è huài le, kuài diǎn kāi fàn ba. | I am starving, so let us eat soon. |
| 孩子们玩了一天，都累坏了。 | Hái zi men wán le yì tiān, dōu lèi huài le. | The children played all day and are worn out. |
| 他忙了一整天，渴坏了。 | Tā máng le yì zhěng tiān, kě huài le. | He was busy all day and is parched. |
Not: 我累得坏了。 坏了 attaches straight to the adjective with no 得: 我累坏了。
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 3, complement (程度补语).
得 (de)
Links a verb or adjective to a description of its result or degree.
Structure: verb or adjective + 得 + description
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他跑得满头大汗。 | Tā pǎo de mǎn tóu dà hán. | He ran until he was sweating all over. |
| 她高兴得跳了起来。 | Tā gāo xìng de tiào le qǐ lái. | She was so happy that she jumped up. |
| 外面冷得让人不想出门。 | Wài miàn lěng de ràng rén bù xiǎng chū mén. | It is so cold outside that you do not want to go out. |
Not: 他忙地没时间吃饭。 The link to a result is 得, not 地: 他忙得没时间吃饭。
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) · Degree complement: V得+predicate (HSK 4) · 得 (děi): obligation must (HSK 4) · Potential complements: V得/不C (HSK 4) · Potential Complements: V+得/不得 (HSK 5).
Compared side by side: 累坏了 vs 累得不得了.
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 Degree & State Complements
What does 程度补语与状态补语 (Degree & State Complements) mean in Chinese?
A degree complement follows a verb or adjective with 得 or a fixed ending to say how extreme something is. 高兴得不得了 means extremely happy, 累坏了 means worn out, and 得 followed by a phrase can describe the resulting state. It is an HSK 5 grammar point.
How do you use 程度补语与状态补语 (Degree & State Complements) in a sentence?
她激动得不得了。 — Tā jī dòng de bù dé liǎo. — She was extremely excited. 得不得了: fixed extreme-degree phrase attached with 得.
What do you need to know before 程度补语与状态补语 (Degree & State Complements)?
Degree complement (HSK 4). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
When do I use 得 and when 地?
Use 得 after a verb or adjective to describe the result or degree: 跑得很快. Use 地 after a manner word to modify a verb: 慢慢地跑.
What is the difference between 累坏了 and 累得不得了?
Both mean extremely tired. 累坏了 is shorter and attaches directly. 累得不得了 is the longer form with 得. Neither needs 很.
Degree & State Complements 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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