Resultative complement 結果補語 (结果补语)

jiéguǒ bǔyǔ · from Chinese

What is a resultative complement?

A resultative complement is a verb or adjective added after a Mandarin verb to show the result of the action, as in 聽懂 (listen + understand).

Mandarin separates action from outcome: you can listen (聽) without understanding (懂). Potential forms insert 得 or 不: 聽得懂 (can understand), 聽不懂 (cannot understand). They are among the most useful and most underused structures for learners.

Examples

看完 kànwán (finish watching); 聽懂 tīngdǒng (understand by listening); 找到 zhǎodào (find); 聽不懂 tīng bù dǒng (cannot understand)

Kungfucius says: 聽不懂: the most useful phrase you will ever master.