Result complements in Chinese: every one, with its verbs
A result complement is a word put straight after a verb to say how the action turned out: 看见 (kànjiàn, look + perceive = see), 听懂 (tīngdǒng, listen + understand), 找到 (zhǎodào, look for + reach = find). Nothing goes between the verb and the complement. To say it did not happen, put 没 in front: 我没听懂. To say it cannot happen, put 不 in the middle: 我听不懂.
English does this with a second word or a different verb (look / see, look for / find, listen / understand). Chinese keeps the action and adds the outcome, which is why the same few complements turn up after dozens of verbs.
Every result complement, with its verbs
These are the eleven the GraphChinese curriculum teaches between HSK 2 and HSK 4 (the levels are those of the site's own lessons). The verbs column is the set you will meet most, learnt as one word each.
| Complement | Pinyin | Says that the action... | Common verbs with it | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 见 | jiàn | registered: you actually saw or heard it | 看见 kànjiàn, 听见 tīngjiàn, 遇见 yùjiàn | 2 |
| 懂 | dǒng | was understood | 听懂 tīngdǒng, 看懂 kàndǒng, 读懂 dúdǒng | 2 |
| 完 | wán | is finished | 吃完 chīwán, 看完 kànwán, 写完 xiěwán, 做完 zuòwán | 2 |
| 好 | hǎo | is done properly, ready | 做好 zuòhǎo, 准备好 zhǔnbèi hǎo, 写好 xiěhǎo | 2 |
| 错 | cuò | went wrong | 说错 shuōcuò, 写错 xiěcuò, 拿错 nácuò, 记错 jìcuò, 打错 dǎcuò | 2 |
| 清楚 | qīngchu | was clear | 看清楚 kàn qīngchu, 听清楚 tīng qīngchu, 讲清楚 jiǎng qīngchu | 2 |
| 到 | dào | reached its goal: found, got, met | 找到 zhǎodào, 买到 mǎidào, 遇到 yùdào, 听到 tīngdào | 3 |
| 住 | zhù | holds fast: fixed, stopped, kept in mind | 记住 jìzhù, 停住 tíngzhù, 拉住 lāzhù | 3 |
| 走 | zǒu | took something away | 拿走 názǒu, 带走 dàizǒu, 开走 kāizǒu | 3 |
| 上 | shang | closed, attached, put on | 关上 guānshang, 穿上 chuānshang, 写上 xiěshang | 3 |
| 坏 | huài | damaged something, or reached an extreme | 弄坏 nònghuài, 穿坏 chuānhuài, 饿坏 èhuài | 4 |
A few in sentences:
- 我在路上看见了一只猫。 Wǒ zài lù shang kànjiàn le yì zhī māo. I saw a cat on the road.
- 你听见了吗？外面有人在叫你。 Nǐ tīngjiàn le ma? Wàimiàn yǒu rén zài jiào nǐ. Did you hear that? Someone outside is calling you.
- 我找了半天，终于找到了钥匙。 Wǒ zhǎo le bàntiān, zhōngyú zhǎodào le yàoshi. I searched for ages and finally found the keys.
- 请把这个地址记住。 Qǐng bǎ zhège dìzhǐ jìzhù. Please remember this address.
- 小偷把我的钱包拿走了。 Xiǎotōu bǎ wǒ de qiánbāo názǒu le. The thief took my wallet.
- 弟弟不小心弄坏了我的手机。 Dìdi bù xiǎoxīn nònghuài le wǒ de shǒujī. My little brother broke my phone by accident.
The order the lessons bring them in: 见, 懂, 完, 好, 错 and 清楚 at HSK 2, then 到, 住, 走 and 上 at HSK 3, then 坏 at HSK 4, with 完, 好, 到 and 懂 coming back at each level with harder verbs. The full lessons are HSK 2, HSK 3 and HSK 4.
Four rules that cover almost every mistake
1. Nothing goes between the verb and the complement. Not 了, not the object.
| Not this | This |
|---|---|
| 我写错了这个字。 Wǒ xiěcuò le zhège zì. I wrote this character wrong. | |
| 我看见了他。 Wǒ kànjiàn le tā. I saw him. | |
| 我吃完饭了。 Wǒ chīwán fàn le. I have finished eating. |
2. 了 goes after the complement, or at the end. 我看见了他 and 我看见他了 are both right.
3. Negate with 没, and drop 了. A result is something that happened or did not, so the negative is 没(有), not 不:
- 作业还没写完。 Zuòyè hái méi xiěwán. The homework isn't finished yet.
- 老师说得太快，我没听懂。 Lǎoshī shuō de tài kuài, wǒ méi tīngdǒng. The teacher spoke too fast and I didn't understand.
Not 我不吃完饭, not 我没听懂了.
4. One verb, one result complement. 好 and 完 do not stack: 我把作业写好完了. Pick the one you mean: 写好了 (done properly) or 写完了 (finished).
Can and cannot: 看得懂, 看不懂
Put 得 (de) between the verb and the complement to say it is possible, 不 to say it is not. This is the potential complement, built from the result complements above:
- 这篇文章太难了，我看不懂。 Zhè piān wénzhāng tài nán le, wǒ kàn bu dǒng. This article is too hard, I can't understand it.
- 黑板上的字我看不清楚。 Hēibǎn shang de zì wǒ kàn bu qīngchu. I can't see the writing on the board clearly.
- 你听得懂吗？ Nǐ tīng de dǒng ma? Can you understand it?
没听懂 or 听不懂? 没听懂 says you did not understand this time. 听不懂 says you are not able to, because of your level or the conditions: 他说得太快，我听不懂 explains why. And never 我没看得见: the potential form takes 不, not 没. More on potential complements.
Choosing between near-twins
看见 or 看到? Often either. 见 only works with perceiving: 看见, 听见, 遇见. 到 works with many more verbs (找到, 买到), and 看到 can also mean "read up to": 看到第十页, up to page ten. After 买 or 找, only 到 is possible.
听到 or 听懂? 听到 is that the sound reached you: 我听到了他的声音. 听懂 is that you understood it: 我听懂了他的话.
做完 or 做好? 做完 is finished. 做好 is finished properly, ready to use: 饭做好了，来吃吧 (Fàn zuò hǎo le, lái chī ba), the meal is ready, come and eat.
Why 把 sentences need one
A 把 sentence says what happened to the object, so the verb cannot stand alone; a result complement is the usual way to finish it:
- 请把门关上。 Qǐng bǎ mén guānshang. Please close the door.
- 他把电话号码记错了。 Tā bǎ diànhuà hàomǎ jìcuò le. He remembered the phone number wrong.
The full set of rules is on 把 and 被 sentences.
Frequently asked questions
What is a result complement in Chinese?
A result complement (结果补语, jiéguǒ bǔyǔ) is a verb or adjective placed directly after another verb to say the outcome of the action: 看见 (see), 听懂 (understand by listening), 找到 (find), 吃完 (finish eating). The two parts work as one word, so nothing goes between them.
How do you make a result complement negative?
Put 没 or 没有 before the verb and leave out 了: 我没找到钥匙, I didn't find the key. To say you cannot manage it, use 不 between the verb and the complement instead: 我找不到钥匙, I can't find the key.
What is the difference between 看见 and 看到?
They often mean the same thing. 见 combines only with seeing and hearing verbs (看见, 听见, 遇见), while 到 combines with many verbs (找到, 买到) and 看到 can also mean "read up to", as in 看到第十页.
What is the difference between 没听懂 and 听不懂?
没听懂 means you did not understand this time. 听不懂 means you are unable to understand, because the speech is too fast or too hard for your level.
Where does 住 go, and what does it mean?
住 goes straight after the verb and means something is held fast: 记住 (remember, keep in mind), 停住 (come to a stop), 拉住 (catch hold of). 请把这个地址记住 means please remember this address.
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