Object Semantic Types: Locative and Result Objects
Verbs can take objects of different meaning. A locative object is a place that follows a verb of arrival or motion directly, as in 到达机场. A result object is something the verb makes, as in 写了一篇文章.
In English
Objects differ in their meaning, not only in their form. A locative object is a place that follows a verb of motion or arrival with no preposition: 到达机场, 爬长城, 离开北京. A result object is something the verb creates: 写文章, 做决定, 提出建议.
Compare 吃苹果, where the apple already exists. If you ask 'did this thing exist before the action?', you can tell the two types apart, and you also see why a verb such as 买 or 看 does not combine with something newly created.
结果宾语 (result object): With verbs like 写、做、画、想出、提出、创作、设计、起草、研制, the object is something the verb's action PRODUCES — it did not exist before the action. 写了一篇文章 = the article is created by writing, not a pre-existing thing being acted on.
Contrast: 吃苹果 (eat an apple) — the apple pre-exists (受事宾语/patient object). 写文章 (write an article) — the article is the RESULT, created by the act of writing. Mixing these up (e.g. using a verb like 买/看/拿 with something that must be newly created) produces an unnatural sentence.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 他们明天要去上海。 | Tā men míng tiān yào qù Shàng hǎi. | They're going to Shanghai tomorrow. | Minimal locative-object frame: 去 (motion verb) + place noun directly as object, no preposition |
| 我们上周爬了长城。 | Wǒ men shàng zhōu pá le Cháng chéng. | We climbed the Great Wall last week. | New verb 爬 also takes the place noun directly as a locative object |
| 她写了一篇很有意思的文章。 | Tā xiě le yì piān hěn yǒu yì si de wén zhāng. | She wrote a very interesting article. | New pattern: 结果宾语 — 文章 is created BY the act of writing, not a pre-existing object |
| 经过讨论，大家终于做出了一个决定。 | Jīng guò tǎo lùn, dà jiā zhōng yú zuò chū le yí gè jué dìng. | After discussion, everyone finally reached a decision. | Result object with a more elaborate resultative verb (做出), showing the decision is produced by the discussion |
| 他们到达机场后，马上提出了新的建议。 | Tā men dào dá jī chǎng hòu, mǎ shàng tí chū le xīn de jiàn yì. | After they arrived at the airport, they immediately raised a new suggestion. | Combines both types in one sentence: 到达机场 (locative object) and 提出了新的建议 (result object) |
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.
到达 (dào dá)
Takes a place directly as its object; no preposition is needed.
Structure: 到达 + place
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 火车将于晚上八点到达北京站。 | Huǒ chē jiāng yú wǎn shang bā diǎn dào dá Běi jīng zhàn. | The train will reach Beijing station at eight in the evening. |
| 我们终于到达了山顶。 | Wǒ men zhōng yú dào dá le shān dǐng. | We finally reached the top of the mountain. |
| 代表团已经到达酒店。 | Dài biǎo tuán yǐ jīng dào dá jiǔ diàn. | The delegation has arrived at the hotel. |
Not: 我们到达在山顶。 到达 takes the place directly, without 在.
写 (xiě)
With 写, the object is created by the action: it did not exist before.
Structure: 写 + 了 + number + measure + thing created
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 她用一个晚上写完了一封长信。 | Tā yòng yí ge wǎn shang xiě wán le yì fēng cháng xìn. | She finished writing a long letter in one evening. |
| 他在黑板上写了一行大字。 | Tā zài hēi bǎn shang xiě le yì háng dà zì. | He wrote a line of big characters on the blackboard. |
| 同学们正在写一份调查报告。 | Tóng xué men zhèng zài xiě yí fèn diào chá bào gào. | The students are writing a survey report. |
Not: 我写了昨天买的书。 写 creates its object; a book you already bought is read, not written.
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 Object Semantic Types among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Object Semantic Types
What does 宾语的语义类型 (Object Semantic Types) mean in Chinese?
Verbs can take objects of different meaning. A locative object is a place that follows a verb of arrival or motion directly, as in 到达机场. A result object is something the verb makes, as in 写了一篇文章. It is an HSK 6 grammar point.
How do you use 宾语的语义类型 (Object Semantic Types) in a sentence?
他们明天要去上海。 — Tā men míng tiān yào qù Shàng hǎi. — They're going to Shanghai tomorrow. Minimal locative-object frame: 去 (motion verb) + place noun directly as object, no preposition.
What do you need to know before 宾语的语义类型 (Object Semantic Types)?
Existential sentences (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.
What does 宾语的语义类型 (Object Semantic Types) lead to?
Advanced 把 and Passive Constructions (HSK 6). Each of them names 宾语的语义类型 (Object Semantic Types) among its own prerequisites.
What is a result object (结果宾语)?
It is an object that comes into being through the verb: 写文章, 做蛋糕, 画画, 提出建议. Compare 吃苹果, where the apple already exists. The test is: did the thing exist before the verb acted?
Why can I say 爬山 and 到达机场 without 在 or 到?
Verbs of motion take the place straight after them as their object: 爬山, 离开北京, 经过学校. Adding a preposition would mean something different, such as 在学校 for location.
Object Semantic Types 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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