Resultative complements: 好/完/到/懂/坏
A result complement follows a verb and says what the action led to. At HSK 4 the pattern covers 好 (done properly), 完 (finished), 到 (reached its aim), 懂 (understood) and 坏 (damaged), extending the HSK 3 set.
| Complement | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 好 | done satisfactorily / ready | 做好 (done well), 准备好 (ready) |
| 完 | done exhaustively / finished | 吃完 (finished eating), 写完 (finished writing) |
| 到 | reached a target | 找到 (found), 买到 (managed to buy) |
| 懂 | comprehended | 听懂 (understood by listening), 看懂 (understood by reading) |
| 坏 | result is damage | 弄坏 (broke it), 累坏 (exhausted) |
Negative potential form: V+不+complement = cannot achieve the result
- 听不懂 (can't understand), 找不到 (can't find)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 这道题我做好了，可以去玩了。 | Zhè dào tí wǒ zuò hǎo le, kě yǐ qù wán le. | I've finished this problem well; I can go play now. | 做好 = satisfactorily completed (ready/done), used when the result meets a standard |
| 她昨晚把那本小说看完了，睡得很晚。 | Tā zuó wǎn bǎ nà běn xiǎo shuō kàn wán le, shuì de hěn wǎn. | She finished reading that novel last night and went to bed very late. | 看完 = exhaustive completion (nothing left to read). 把 construction moves the definite object before the verb. |
| 这个字写了好几遍，他终于写对了。 | Zhè gè zì xiě le hǎo jǐ biàn, tā zhōng yú xiě duì le. | After writing this character many times, he finally got it right. | 写对 = wrote correctly. 终于 shows the result came after effort. |
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.
好 (hǎo)
Means the action is done properly or is ready.
Structure: verb + 好 (+ object)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 晚饭我已经做好了，你们快来吃吧。 | Wǎn fàn wǒ yǐ jīng zuò hǎo le, nǐ men kuài lái chī ba. | I have already finished making dinner, come and eat. |
| 明天要考试，你准备好了吗？ | Míng tiān yào kǎo shì, nǐ zhǔn bèi hǎo le ma? | The exam is tomorrow, are you ready? |
| 请把名字写好，再交给老师。 | Qǐng bǎ míng zì xiě hǎo, zài jiāo gěi lǎo shī. | Please write your name neatly, then give it to the teacher. |
Not: 我做了好作业。 好 must come right after the verb: 我做好了作业.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, adverbs (程度副词); level 2, complement (结果补语).
好 is also explained in: Result Complements: 错/懂/好/完/清楚 (HSK 2).
完 (wán)
Means the action has been finished.
Structure: verb + 完 (+ object)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这本书太长了，我三天才看完。 | Zhè běn shū tài zhǎng le, wǒ sān tiān cái kàn wán. | This book is so long that I only finished it in three days. |
| 你吃完饭以后，我们去散步吧。 | Nǐ chī wán fàn yǐ hòu, wǒ men qù sàn bù ba. | After you finish eating, let us go for a walk. |
| 作业还没写完，我不能出去玩。 | Zuò yè hái méi xiě wán, wǒ bù néng chū qu wán. | I have not finished the homework, so I cannot go out to play. |
Not: 我吃饭完了。 完 goes directly after the verb: 我吃完饭了.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, complement (结果补语).
完 is also explained in: Result Complements: 错/懂/好/完/清楚 (HSK 2) · Result Complements: V+到/住/走 (HSK 3).
到 (dào)
Means the action has reached its aim, such as finding or getting.
Structure: verb + 到 (+ object)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我找了半天，终于找到了钥匙。 | Wǒ zhǎo le bàn tiān, zhōng yú zhǎo dào le yào shi. | I searched for ages and finally found the keys. |
| 他买到了去上海的火车票。 | Tā mǎi dào le qù shàng hǎi de huǒ chē piào. | He managed to buy a train ticket to Shanghai. |
| 昨天我在路上遇到了一个老朋友。 | Zuó tiān wǒ zài lù shàng yù dào le yí gè lǎo péng you. | Yesterday I ran into an old friend on the road. |
Not: 我没找到了书。 The negative with 没 drops 了: 我没找到书.
到 is also explained in: Result Complements: V+到/住/走 (HSK 3).
懂 (dǒng)
Means you understood what you heard or read.
Structure: 听/看 + 懂 (+ object)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 老师说得太快，我没听懂。 | Lǎo shī shuō de tài kuài, wǒ méi tīng dǒng. | The teacher spoke too fast, I did not understand. |
| 这篇文章太难了，我看不懂。 | Zhè piān wén zhāng tài nán le, wǒ kàn bù dǒng. | This article is too hard, I cannot understand it. |
| 你听懂他的意思了吗？ | Nǐ tīng dǒng tā de yì si le ma? | Did you understand what he meant? |
Not: 我不听懂。 Negate with 没 (past) or 不 inside: 我没听懂 or 我听不懂.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, complement (结果补语).
懂 is also explained in: Result Complements: 错/懂/好/完/清楚 (HSK 2).
坏 (huài)
Means the result is damage or an extreme state.
Structure: verb + 坏 (+ object)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 弟弟不小心弄坏了我的手机。 | Dì di bù xiǎo xīn nòng huài le wǒ de shǒu jī. | My younger brother broke my phone by accident. |
| 一天没吃饭，我饿坏了。 | Yì tiān méi chī fàn, wǒ è huài le. | I have not eaten all day and I am starving. |
| 这双鞋穿了三年，已经穿坏了。 | Zhè shuāng xié chuān le sān nián, yǐ jīng chuān huài le. | These shoes have been worn for three years and are worn out. |
Not: 他坏了我的杯子。 坏 as a result needs a verb before it: 他弄坏了我的杯子.
错 (cuò)
Means the action was done wrongly.
Structure: verb + 错 (+ object)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这个字你写错了。 | Zhè gè zì nǐ xiě cuò le. | You wrote this character wrong. |
| 对不起，我打错电话了。 | Duì bù qǐ, wǒ dǎ cuò diàn huà le. | Sorry, I dialled the wrong number. |
| 他说错了我的名字。 | Tā shuō cuò le wǒ de míng zì. | He said my name wrong. |
Not: 我写了错这个字。 错 comes right after the verb: 我写错了这个字.
错 is also explained in: Result Complements: 错/懂/好/完/清楚 (HSK 2).
Compared side by side: 听懂 vs 听到.
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 Resultative complements among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
The same pattern at other levels
- Result Complements — HSK 2
- Result Complements — HSK 3
Questions about Resultative complements
What does 基础结果补语 (Resultative complements) mean in Chinese?
A result complement follows a verb and says what the action led to. At HSK 4 the pattern covers 好 (done properly), 完 (finished), 到 (reached its aim), 懂 (understood) and 坏 (damaged), extending the HSK 3 set. It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 基础结果补语 (Resultative complements) in a sentence?
这道题我做好了，可以去玩了。 — Zhè dào tí wǒ zuò hǎo le, kě yǐ qù wán le. — I've finished this problem well; I can go play now. 做好 = satisfactorily completed (ready/done), used when the result meets a standard.
What do you need to know before 基础结果补语 (Resultative complements)?
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 does 基础结果补语 (Resultative complements) lead to?
Advanced resultatives (HSK 4), Complement types (HSK 4), Potential complements (HSK 4). Each of them names 基础结果补语 (Resultative complements) among its own prerequisites.
How do I say "cannot" with a result complement?
Put 不 between the verb and the complement: 看不懂, 找不到, 做不完. 我看不懂 means I cannot understand it by reading.
What is the difference between 听懂 and 听到?
听到 means you heard a sound: 我听到了他的声音. 听懂 means you understood it: 我听懂了他的话.
Resultative 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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