Structural Particle 得: State Complement
The structural particle 得 (de) sits between a verb and a description of how well or how fast the action is done. Pattern: verb + 得 + adjective, as in 他跑得快.
- 他跑得快。= He runs fast.
- 她说得很清楚。= She speaks very clearly.
Negation goes on the complement, NOT the verb:
✅ 他跑得不快。(doesn't run fast) ❌ 他不跑得快。(ungrammatical)
Questions: Verb + 得 + Adjective + 不 + Adjective — 他跑得快不快？
Contrast 得/的/地 (all pronounced "de", different jobs):
- 的 — before a NOUN: 我的书 (my book)
- 地 — before a VERB, marks an adverb: 慢慢地走 (walk slowly)
- 得 — after a VERB, introduces the complement: 走得慢 (walks slowly)
Common mistake: 他工作的很好 ❌ should be 他工作得很好 ✅.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 他跑得快。 | Tā pǎo de kuài. | He runs fast. | Minimal pattern: Verb (跑) + 得 + Adjective (快), describing how the action is performed. |
| 他跑得很快。 | Tā pǎo de hěn kuài. | He runs very fast. | Adding a degree adverb (很) before the adjective intensifies the description. |
| 他跑得不快。 | Tā pǎo de bú kuài. | He doesn't run fast. | Negation attaches to the complement (不快), not to the verb — never 他不跑得快。 |
| 他写字写得好不好？ | Tā xiě zì xiě de hǎo bu hǎo? | Does he write characters well? | Verb+得+Adjective+不+Adjective forms a yes/no question about the complement; the verb 写 repeats before 得 because it has an object (字). |
| 这是我的书，我写得很好。 | Zhè shì wǒ de shū, wǒ xiě de hěn hǎo. | This is my book — I write (in it) very well. | Contrast 的 (before the noun 书, shows possession) vs 得 (after the verb 写, introduces the complement 很好) — same sound, different jobs. |
| 他写字写得比我好。 | Tā xiě zì xiě de bǐ wǒ hǎo. | He writes characters better than I do. | The 得-complement can combine with the comparison word 比: Verb+得+比+Person+Adjective. |
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 a verb to a complement that says how well or how the action is done.
Structure: Verb + 得 + adj
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 她唱歌唱得很好听。 | Tā chàng gē chàng de hěn hǎo tīng. | She sings very well. |
| 你今天来得真早。 | Nǐ jīn tiān lái de zhēn zǎo. | You came really early today. |
| 孩子们玩得很开心。 | Hái zi men wán de hěn kāi xīn. | The children had a great time playing. |
Not: 他唱歌得很好。 With an object, repeat the verb: 唱歌唱得很好.
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) · 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) · Degree & State Complements: 不得了、坏了、得+phrase (HSK 5) · Potential Complements: V+得/不得 (HSK 5).
得不 (de bù)
Makes the complement negative.
Structure: Verb + 得 + 不 + adj
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 她唱得不好。 | Tā chàng de bù hǎo. | She does not sing well. |
| 我昨天睡得不好。 | Wǒ zuó tiān shuì de bù hǎo. | I did not sleep well yesterday. |
| 他说得不太清楚。 | Tā shuō de bú tài qīng chu. | He did not speak very clearly. |
Not: 他不跑得快。 Put 不 before the adjective: 跑得不快.
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 Structural Particle 得 among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Structural Particle 得
What does 结构助词得 (Structural Particle 得) mean in Chinese?
The structural particle 得 (de) sits between a verb and a description of how well or how fast the action is done. Pattern: verb + 得 + adjective, as in 他跑得快. It is an HSK 2 grammar point.
How do you use 结构助词得 (Structural Particle 得) in a sentence?
他跑得快。 — Tā pǎo de kuài. — He runs fast. Minimal pattern: Verb (跑) + 得 + Adjective (快), describing how the action is performed.
What do you need to know before 结构助词得 (Structural Particle 得)?
Adjective Predicate Sentences (HSK 1). 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 结构助词得 (Structural Particle 得) lead to?
Degree Complements (HSK 2), Degree Complements (HSK 3), Potential Complements (HSK 3). Each of them names 结构助词得 (Structural Particle 得) among its own prerequisites.
Why do I repeat the verb in 他说汉语说得好?
When the verb has an object, the first verb carries the object and the second carries 得. You may also drop the first verb: 他汉语说得好。
Is the complement 得 the same as 的 and 地?
No. They sound alike but 的 links to a noun, 地 links to a verb, and 得 comes after a verb and before the complement.
Structural Particle 得 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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