Frequency complement: V+次/遍/趟
Frequency complements answer how many times an action occurred.
Three main measure words:
- 次 (cì) — general occurrences: 说了三次 (said it 3 times)
- 遍 (biàn) — from start to finish (emphasizes completion): 读了两遍 (read through twice)
- 趟 (tàng) — round trips / visits: 去了一趟 (made a trip there)
Structure: Verb + 了 + Number + Measure
Object placement: if there is an object, it goes before the frequency complement:
> 我看了那部电影三遍。(those 3 complete viewings of that film)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 这首歌我听了很多次，还是不厌倦。 | Zhè shǒu gē wǒ tīng le hěn duō cì, háishì bù yànjuàn. | I've listened to this song many times and still don't get tired of it. | 次 = general occurrence count; object before frequency phrase |
| 请你把这篇文章再读一遍。 | Qǐng nǐ bǎ zhè piān wénzhāng zài dú yī biàn. | Please read this article through one more time. | 遍 emphasises reading from beginning to end |
| 我去年去了两趟北京，都是出差。 | Wǒ qùnián qù le liǎng tàng Běijīng, dōu shì chūchāi. | I went to Beijing twice last year — both times on business. | 趟 = number of trips to a place |
What this opens up
These patterns list Frequency complement among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Frequency 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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