Learn how to express possibility and ability by inserting 得 (de) or 不 (bu) between action verbs and result complements
1 Introduction to Potential Complements
Potential complements are a special grammatical structure in Chinese that indicates whether an action is possible or achievable.
They are formed by inserting 得 (de) for positive possibility or 不 (bù) for negative possibility between the action verb and its result complement.
Key Features of Potential Complements
Indicates something can be done or is possible:
Indicates something cannot be done or is impossible:
The object often moves to the beginning as the topic:
- Action Verbs (走, 完, 见)
- Adjectives (胖, 快)
- Directional Compounds (进去, 回来, 上去)
Positive Form
Negative Form
Key Concept: Ability vs Permission
Potential complements express physical or circumstantial possibility, not permission:
得 (de) in potential complements is similar to 能 (néng) in meaning, but focuses on physical/circumstantial possibility.
2 Action Verbs as Result Verb Elements (RVE)
When action verbs serve as result complements in potential structures, they indicate whether the action can be completed or achieved.
Common action verb RVEs include: 走 (take away), 完 (finish), 见 (see/hear).
Object as Topic
Subject
Verb
Potential
Result
Action Verb RVE Examples
走 (zǒu)
搬不走 (unable to move away)
带不走 (unable to take along)
完 (wán)
做不完 (unable to finish doing)
看不完 (unable to finish watching)
见 (jiàn)
听不见 (unable to hear)
找不到 (unable to find)
到 (dào)
找不到 (unable to find)
做不到 (unable to achieve)
Tone Sandhi: 不 (bù → bú)
不 changes tone before fourth-tone syllables:
This tone change makes pronunciation smoother.
Question Formation
Questions are formed by adding 吗 (ma) at the end:
吗 converts a statement into a yes/no question.
3 Adjectives as Result Verb Elements (RVE)
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4 Directional Compounds as Result Verb Elements (RVE)
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5 Usage Notes and Comparison
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Practice Exercises
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