Level 3 Lesson 10.2 – 我又找不到钥匙了。
GRAMMAR: 1. V得~/V不~ (I); 2.V得~/V不~(II); 3. 可能补语 Potential Complements in Yes-no Questions
In this HSK 3 video lesson we'll learn about 可能补语 (Kěnéng Bǔyǔ ▸ Potential Complements). We'll learn how to use the structures V得~ and V不~ and how to ask Yes-no Questions with them.
- 可能补语 V得~ / V不~: V 得 + 结果补语 / V 不 + 结果补语
- 可能补语 V得~ / V不~: V 得 + 趋向补语 / V 不 + 趋向补语
- 可能补语 Potential Complements in Yes-no Questions and Affirmative-Negative Questions.
GRAMMAR
Summary. 补语 1
Bǔyǔ ▸ Complements
补语 (Bǔyǔ ▸ Complements) is a type of 句子成分 (Jùzi Chéngfèn ▸ Sentence Element) in Chinese. It is very common in Chinese, however, it is rarely found in other languages.
A 补语 can be one word or a group of words. It usually goes after the verb, or sometimes after an adjective as well. Usually a 补语 is there to help suggest the result, direction, possibility or state of an action.
We have learned many different types of 补语 before (characters marked in red are 补语):
结果补语 (Jiéguǒ Bǔyǔ ▸ Complements of Result)
- chūlai
出来
exit-come
to come out - jìnqu
进去
enter-go
to go in
趋向补语 (Qūxiàng Bǔyǔ ▸ Complements of Direction)
- názǒu
拿走
take-go
to take (with the result of) taking away - kǎoshàng
考上
take-test-“shang”
to take test (with the result of) getting in
情态补语 (Qíngtài Bǔyǔ ▸ Complements of State)
- shuì de hěnhǎo
睡得很好
sleep -de- very good
to sleep very well - shēnghuó de búcuò
生活得不错
live -de- not bad
to live not badly
动量补语 (Dòngliàng Bǔyǔ ▸ Complements of Frequency) (I), (II) and (III)
- liànxí yíxià
练习一下
practice “yixia”
to practice “really quick” / to practice “for a little bit” - huàn le liǎng cì
换了两次
change -le two “ci”
to change (for) two times
时量补语 (Shíliàng Bǔyǔ ▸ Complements Time-Duration) (I) and (II)
- xīnkǔ sān ge yuè
辛苦三个月
work hard 3 “ge” month
to work hard (for) 3 “ge” (of) months - zhǎo le yí ge xiǎoshí
找了一个小时
seek -le one “ge” hour
to seek (for) one “ge” (of) hour
Grammar 1. 可能补语: V得~/V不~ (I)
Kěnéng Bǔyǔ V de ~ / V bu~▸ Potential Complements V得~/V不~
(1) Structure
可能补语 is structured base on 结果补语：
To have potential/ability: V + 可能补语 = V + 得 + 结果补语
To not have potential/ability: V + 可能补语 = V + 不 + 结果补语
Examples are shown in the chart below:
| Jiéguǒ Bǔyǔ 结果补语 Complements of Result [ Verb - Complement of Result ] |
chī wán 吃完 to eat (with the result of) finishing |
shuì zháo 睡着 to sleep (with the result of) (being) asleep |
| Kěnéng Bǔyǔ 可能补语 Potential Complements [ Verb - Potential Complement ] |
chī de wán 吃得完 to eat and have the potential/ability to finish |
shuì de zháo 睡得着 to sleep and have the potential/ability of falling asleep |
| chī bu wán 吃不完 to eat and not have the potential/ability to finish |
shuì bu zháo 睡不着 to sleep and not have the potential/ability of falling asleep |
(2) More examples of Potential Complement [V得~/V不~]
WITH the potential/ability |
WITHOUT the potential/ability
|
| zhǎng de pàng 长得胖 to grow with the potential/ability of being fat |
zhǎng bu pàng 长不胖 to grow without the potential/ability of being fat |
| chī de bǎo 吃得饱 to eat with the potential/ability of being full |
chī bu bǎo 吃不饱 to eat without the potential/ability of being full |
| kàn de qīngchu 看得清楚 to look with the potential/ability to see clear |
kàn bu qīngchu 看不清楚 to look without the potential/ability to see clear |
| chī de xíguàn 吃得习惯 to eat with the potential/ability to get used to (the flavor, texture, etc.) |
chī bu xíguàn 吃不习惯 to eat with the potential/ability to get used to (the flavor, texture, etc.) |
| zhǎo de dào 找得到 to seek with the potential/ability to find |
zhǎo bu dào 找不到 to seek without the potential/ability to find |
| tīng de dǒng 听得懂 to listen with the potential/ability to understand |
tīng bu dǒng 听不懂 to listen without the potential/ability to understand |
| xué de huì 学得会 to learn with the potential/ability to know how to (do it) |
xué bu huì 学不会 to learn without the potential/ability to know how to (do it) |
| zuò de hǎo 做得好 to do with the potential/ability to do well |
zuò bu hǎo 做不好 to do without the potential/ability to do well |
| xiě de hǎo 写得好 to write with the potential/ability to write well |
xiě bu hǎo 写不好 to take test without the potential/ability to write well |
(3) Example sentences
In a sentence, the word order goes like this,
Subject + [(Verb + Potential Complement) / (V得~/V不~)] + Object
For example,
- Yuèliàng chūlai le, nǐ kàn de dào ma?
月亮出来了，你看得到吗？
(The) moon came now (already), are you able to see (it)? - Tiān shang yǒu yún, kàn bu dào tàiyáng.
天上有云，看不到太阳。
There are clouds on (the) sky, (so we) are not able see (the) sun. - Wǒmen tīng de dào wàimiàn huǒchē de shēngyīn.
我们听得到外面火车的声音。
We are able to hear (the) sound (of) train(s) outside. - Hē le nàme duo kāfēi, wǒ jīnwǎn yīnggāi shuì bu zháo le.
喝了那么多咖啡，我今晚应该睡不着了。
(I) drank that much coffee, I tonight probably (will) not be able to fall asleep.
Grammar 2. 可能补语: V得~/V不~ (II)
Kěnéng Bǔyǔ V de ~ / V bu~▸ Potential Complements V得~/V不~
(1) Structure
可能补语 can be structured base on 趋向补语：
To have potential/ability: V + 可能补语 = V + 得 + 趋向补语
To not have potential/ability: V + 可能补语 = V + 不 + 趋向补语
Examples are shown in the chart below:
| Qūxiàng Bǔyǔ 趋向补语 Complements of Direction [ Verb - Complement of Result ] |
chū qu 出去 exit-go to go out |
jìn lai 进来 enter-come to come in |
| Kěnéng Bǔyǔ 可能补语 Potential Complements [ Verb - Potential Complement ] |
chū de qu 出得去 exit-de-go to go and have the potential of exiting |
jìn de lai 进得来 enter-de-come to come and have the potential of entering |
| chū bu qu 出不去 exit-not-go to go and not have the potential of exiting |
jìn bu lai 进不来 enter-not-lai to come and not have the potential of entering |
(2) Example sentences
In a sentence, the word order also go like this,
Subject + [(Verb + Potential Complement) / (V得~/V不~)] + Object
For example,
- Tā jīntiān wǎnshang bādiǎn yǐhòu chū de lái, wǒmen děng tā yíxià.
他今天晚上八点以后出得来，我们等他一下。
He (will) be able to come out after 8 pm, (let) us wait (for) him “for a little bit”. - Yàoshi xiàwǔ sāndiǎn yǐqián ná de lái ma?
钥匙下午三点以前拿得来吗？
Is the key able to (be) brought-(with the result of)-coming-(here) before 3 pm? - Dōu yí ge xiǎoshí le, wǒ diǎn de wàimài hái sòng de lái ma?
都一个小时了，我点的外卖还送得来吗？
(It has been) already one “ge” (of) hour, is (the) delivery-food (that) I ordered still be able to sent-(with the result of)-coming-(here)? - Bàngōngshì mén guān zhe ne, wǒ méi yàoshi, jìn bu qù.
办公室门关着呢，我没钥匙，进不去。
(The) office door (is) closed, I (do) not (have) (the) key, (I) am not able to go in.
Grammar 3. 是非/正反疑问句里的可能补语
Shìfēi Yíwènjù li de Kěnéng Bǔyǔ▸ Potential Complements in Yes-no Questions and Affirmative-Negative Questions
There are three ways to use Potential Complements in Yes-no Questions and Affirmative-Negative Questions. And they are interchangeable:
- V得~吗？
- V不V得~？
- V得~V不~？
For example,
Nǐ tīng de dào wǒ de shēngyīn ma?
Nǐ tīng bu tīng de dào wǒ de shēngyīn?
Nǐ tīng de dào tīng bu dào wǒ de shēngyīn?
你听得到我的声音吗？
你听不听得到我的声音？
你听得到听不到我的声音？
Are you able to listen and hear my voice?
Diànyǐng yǐjīng kāishǐ le, wǒmen hái jìn de qù ma?
Diànyǐng yǐjīng kāishǐ le, wǒmen hái jìn bu jìn de qù?
Diànyǐng yǐjīng kāishǐ le, wǒmen hái jìn de qù jìn bu qù?
电影已经开始了，我们还进得去吗？
电影已经开始了，我们还进不进得去？
电影已经开始了，我们还进得去进不去？
(The) movie (has) already started, are we still able to go in?
Nǐ méi dài yǎnjìng, kàn de qīngchu ma?
Nǐ méi dài yǎnjìng, kàn bu kàn de qīngchu?
Nǐ méi dài yǎnjìng, kàn de qīngchu kàn bu qīngchu?
你没戴眼镜，看得清楚吗？
你没戴眼镜，看不看得清楚？
你没戴眼镜，看得清楚看不清楚？
You (did) not put on glasses, are (you) able to see clear?
Zhèxiē tí nàme nán, wǒ zuò de duì ma?
Zhèxiē tí nàme nán, wǒ zuò bu zuò de duì?
Zhèxiē tí nàme nán, wǒ zuò de duì zuò bu duì?
这些题那么难，我做得对吗？
这些题那么难，我做不做得对？
这些题那么难，我做得对做不对？
These questions (are) that difficult, am I able to do (them) correctly?
Nín zài zhèr zhù de guàn ma?
Nín zài zhèr zhù bu zhù de guàn?
Nín zài zhèr zhù de guàn zhù bu guàn?
您在这儿住得惯吗？
您在这儿住不住得惯？
您在这儿住得惯住不惯？
Are you able to(,) being in here(,) live and get used to (it)?
I am a bit confused： Level 2 Lesson 11 at the end of the grammar section you mention:
While using Complement of Direction in Chinese, be careful that no Object should be used after the Verb-Complement Phrase
But if it’s a potential complement, it is allowed?
Yes the mentioned rule about “no Object should be used after the Verb-Complement Phrase” is applied while using Complement of Direction in Chinese.