Resultative complements

 Exercises

 

Other terminology: complements of result, resultative verbs, 结果补语.

 

1. What are resultative complements?

 

Resultative complements indicate results of actions and they are placed after verbs of action. These words can also be used as verbs or stative verbs in sentences. For example,

chī  wán                 kàn  dŏng

吃   完             看    懂                                                         (完 and 懂 can be used as verbs.)

EAT  FINISH           READ UNDERSTAND

To finish eating.   To understand sth. by reading it.

 

jì          gĕi     tā                       fàng    zài  zhuō  shàng.

寄     给   他                放     在   桌     上                   (给  and  在 can be used as co-verbs)

POST TO       HIM                   PUT      ZAI  TABLE ON

To post to him.                      To put on the table.

 

shuō  qīngchu                      fàng   hăo.

说     清楚                   放     好                                   (清 楚 and 好 can be used as stative verbs)

SPEAK CLEARLY                  PUT    PROPERLY

Speak clearly.                      put it (away)(down) properly.

 

2. When should I use resultative verb complements in sentences?

 

When you want to indicate the result of an action, a resultative complement is placed after a verb of action.

tā  niàn      wán      zhè  bĕn    shū  le.

她  念     完     这   本   书   了。

SHE READ  FINISH THIS BEN  BOOK  LE

She has finished (reading) this book.

 

tā    xué      huì             kāi   chē     le.

他  学    会          开  车     了。

HE  LEARN MASTER  DRIVE CAR LE

He has mastered the skill of driving.

He has learnt how to drive a car.

 

3. Where does a resultative verb complement go in a sentence?

When a sentence describes an active action, the combined group (verb + resultative complement) is placed before the object.

s.                                                                      neg/adv  v.+ complt.                              o.

xiăo    lĭ

小    李       

XIAO  LI

méi     kàn dŏng

没   看  懂

NOT  READ UNDERSTAND

zhè   ge   zì.

这   个   字。

THIS  GE   WORD

Xiao Li didn't understand this word. (By reading it)

Xiao Li read this word, but he couldn't understand it.

 

4. Where does a resultative verb complement go if a sentence has a direct and indirect object?

 

If a sentence has a direct and an indirect object and its resultative complement refers to the indirect object, then the direct object can be placed at the beginning of the sentence, or the 把 construction should be used. [See the "把" construction.] The commonly used complements for this type of sentence pattern are:  成, 到, 给 or 在,.

 dir.o.                                s.                                adv.               v.+ complt.                                  indir.o.

 xìn         

信

LETTER

wŏ          

我                        

I     

yĭjīng           jì       dāo        

已经       寄    到

ALREADY    SEND  TO      

zhōngguó qù  le.

中    国  去 了。

CHINA       GO  LE

I've posted the letter to China.

 

5. Can the particle "了" for completed action be used with resultative verb complements?

  

The particle "了" for completed action is used when it is necessary, even if the complements 完 and 好 which mean completion, are applied. (See "了" for completed action.) For example:

wŏ    chī     wán        (le)          fàn       le.

我   吃  完        (了)      饭     了。

 I      EAT  FINISH    (LE)         MEAL LE

 I've finished eating my meal.

6. What are the commonly used resultative complements?

 The words in the following table are the regularly used resultative complements.

COMPLEMENTS & EXAMPLES

INDICATION IN CHINESE SENTENCES

IN ENGLISH SENTENCES

...băo

...饱

to be full up (used for describing people eating and drinking)

我 吃 饱 了 。

have enough of  sth by eating or drinking

I’ve eaten enough.

...chéng

...成

翻译成   作成   写成   说成   修成   看成  当成

to change or turn sth into sth else

他把蛋糕切成了四块 /蛋糕他切成了四块。

...into

 

He cut the cake into 4 pieces.

...cuò

...错

说错   写错   看错   记错 

听错  作错

to do sth mistakenly

这个电话号码你打错了。

...sth wrong

You've dialed the wrong number.

...dà

...大

放大   张大  

to make sth big/wide

请你张大嘴。

...sth big/wide

Could you open your mouth wide.

...dào

...到

1 买到   借到  收到   找到 

2 学到   看到   听到

 

 

3 听到   看到   踫到

 

 

1 to get hold of sth by...

我找到一个好老师。

2 to reach a place, time and level

我们学到第几课  。

3 to sense sth  or sb

昨天我看到你女朋友了。

 

 

1. to obtain

I've found a good teacher

2. ...to (a place, time...)

 

Which lesson are we on now

3.similar to 见

Yesterday I saw your girlfriend.

...diào

...掉

扔掉   忘掉  丢掉   拆掉

to detach

他的地址我已经扔掉了。

to get rid of sth. by...

I've thrown away his address.

...dŏng

...懂

听懂    看懂     搞懂

to understand sth

我没听懂你说的话。

to understand sth by...

I didn't understand what

you said.

...duì

...对

作对   说对   听对  买对   

to do sth correctly

这件事你没作对。

...correctly, ... right

You didn't deal with that matter correctly.

...gānjìng

...干净

整理干净    收拾干净

打扫干净

to make sth clean

请你把地扫干净/地请你扫干净。

...sth clean

Could you sweep the floor clean.

...gĕi

...给        

交给   寄给   送给    还给   借给   拿给   递给

to reach a person or organization

这封信请你寄给他。

...to sb

Could you post this letter to him?

...hăo

...好

1 作好   学好   唱好

2 吃好   学好  放好

to finish doing sth

我作好饭了。

2 to do sth well

请你把钱放好/钱请你放好

1. to finish... sth

I've finished cooking the meal

2. ...properly

Please put the money away properly.

...huì

...会

学会  

to master eth

你学会计算机了没有。

to master sth by...

Have you mastered how to use

the computer yet?

...jiàn

...见

看见   听见   踫见

to sense sth

早上我看见李老师了。

to sense sth or sb by...

I saw Mr. Li this morning.

...kāi

...开

打开   分开   拉开

to open sth

我打开门了。

to detach sth. by...

I've opened the door.

...qīng1chu

...清楚

说清楚   看清楚  

讲清楚   解释清楚

to do sth clearly

他话没说清楚,就走了。

...sth clearly

Before he had said it clearly he

went away.

... sĭ

...死     

饿死    忙死    气死   累死

...sth or sb to death

我们上了八个小时的课.真累死了。

...sth or sb to death

We had 8 hours of lessons. I'm

exhausted.

...wán

...完        

作完   写完   听完   学完  

讲完   说完  卖完   借完  

看完

to finish sth

我们作完我们的工作了。

to finish sth by...

We've completed our work.

...zài

...在

放在  坐在   写在   贴在

挂在   站在

to locate at or in or on sth / swh

衣服我放在箱子里了。

...at,...in,...at

I've put the clothes in the suitcase.

...zháo

...着

买着   找着   借着  喝着

to obtain sth

人多酒少所以我一口也没喝着。

to get hold of sth by...

There were too many people but very little wine so I didn't get anything to drink. 

...zhù

...住

拿住   记住   贴住

to make sure sth stays securely

我说的话请你记住。

...tightly

Please remember what I've said.

...zŏu

...走

拿走   寄走   借走  搬走  

to make (verb) sth away

他拿走了我的电话。

...away

He has taken away my telephone.

 

What is the difference between 在 used as a co-verb and used as a complement, as in 在中国生活and 生活在中国？

……

Exercises

 

You can submit your work online here

 

Click here for answers

 

Resultative complements should be used in the following sentences.

1.         He has translated that novel into Chinese.

2.         Mr. Li wrote that character wrongly.

3.         Would you like me to enlarge (放) this photo for you?

4.         I went to many bookshops, but I still couldn't get hold of that book.

5.         I've removed your TV set to the sitting room.

6.         Nowadays nobody wants to buy tea sets. I've got ten tea sets in the shop, but I haven't got rid of them.

7.         Yesterday Mr. Wang spoke so fast, I couldn't understand a word.

8.         This morning I answered Mr. Li's question correctly.

9.         Look at your clothes. They are so dirty. How can I wash them (clean)?

10.     I've already handed in my homework to Mr. Li.

11.     Put your ticket away properly, and don't lose it.

12.     Have you mastered verb complements (动词补语)?

13.     What did you say? I didn't hear.

14.     Could you open up your suitcase please?

15.     Could you write your sentences clearly? I've found your handwriting difficult to read.

16.     Have you got anything for me to eat? I'm starving to death.

17.     I have finished tidying up your study. How much are you going to pay me for it?

18.     Don't sit on the table.

19.     Yesterday I went to the canteen too late, so I didn't have any supper.

20.     Can you remember all the characters that you learnt this term?

 

Can you tell the difference between the following paired words?

1.看/看见            2.找/找着         3.听/听到?      4.卖/卖掉          5.借给/借到

 

1. Multiple choices

Please note: it is important that one should learn and practise resultative, directional and potential complements before starting the following exercises.

A 我 今 天 就 能 看____这 本 书 。

1                     得 完

2                     见

3                     到

4                     完

 

B 请 您 把 茶 拿____给 老 王 。

1                     到

2                     交

3                     去

4                     过 去

 

C 我 听 了你 刚 说 的 话，  可 是 没 听____。 

1                     见

2                     懂

3                     完

4                     出 来

 

D 小 王 把 卖 字 写____买 了 。

1                     到

2                     成

3                     完

4                     在

 

E 我 们 已 经 说 了 这 个 问 题 可 是 没 说 ____。

1                     清 楚

2                     懂

3                     成

4                     到

昨 天 我 们 学____第 几 课 ？

1                     起 来

2                     上

3                     到

4                     在

 

2 Fill in the gaps. All the following sentences must be translated into English.

 

  1. 书 店 里 的 书 昨 天 就 卖____了 ， 你 现 在 才 去 买 一 定 买____。
  2. 古 波 今 天 收____他 妈 妈 寄____他 的 信 。
  3. 这 本 小 说 你 快 看____了 吗 ？
  4. 你 这 个 字 写____了， 这 里 少 了 一 笔 。
  5. 你 们 给 我 作 得 太 多 了 ， 我 一 个 人 怎 么 吃____？
  6. 那 个 地 方 很 好 找 ， 你 只 要 记    __在 图 书 馆 的 东 边 。
  7. 你 带 的 东 西 不 多 ， 一 个 人 拿________。
  8. 外 边 下 着 大 雨 ， 你 出                  。
  9. A: 那 两 人 是 谁 ？ B: 哪 儿 ？ 我 怎 么 看               ?
  10. 今 天 我 带 的 钱 不 多 ， 我 应 该 回 家 拿 点 儿____。
  11. 去 年 住____这 儿 的 人 搬________了 。 我 们 想 明 天 搬 ________。
  12. 前 面 走________一 个 人 我 想 跑                   问 问 他 图 书 馆 在 哪 儿 。
  13. 你 们 都 坐                吧 。 别 看      我 来 了 就 都 站                     了 。
  14. 我 多 买 些 带                        给 我 朋 友 也 尝 尝 。
  15. 请 你 跑           楼 上           给 我 拿 一 本 书____。