2 · Complements after the verb
How well: the degree complement with de
verb, de and a description
Verb, then de, then an adjective: how an action is done or how well.
Where English uses an adverb — “speaks fast”, “writes well” — Chinese puts a comment after the verb, joined by the particle 得: 他说得很快, “he speaks fast”, literally “he speaks — to the extent of — very fast”. The description comes after the verb, never before it.
The part after 得 behaves like a normal adjective sentence, so it usually takes 很, 真, 太 or 非常. The negative puts 不 before the adjective, not before the verb: 他说得不快. To ask, use an A-not-A adjective or 怎么样: 你睡得怎么样？, “how did you sleep?”.
A verb cannot carry an object and 得 at the same time. With an object, either say the verb twice — once with the object, once with 得 — or put the object in front: 她说中文说得很好 or 她中文说得很好. What is impossible is the English order, verb, object, then the description.
The degree complement describes how something usually goes or how it went, so it often refers to the past without any 了, and 了 never stands between the verb and 得. Note the character: this 得 is not 的 and not 地, although all three sound the same.
The form
| how it is done | 他跑得很快。 |
| negative | 他跑得不快。 |
| a question | 他跑得快不快？ |
| a question with zěnmeyàng | 他跑得怎么样？ |
| with an object: say the verb twice | 她唱歌唱得很好。 |
| with an object: put it first | 她歌唱得很好。 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
The description comes after the verb and 得, not before the verb.
你写得真好！You write really well!
The adjective after 得 usually takes 很, 真, 太 or 非常.
他今天起得很早。He got up very early today.
In the negative, 不 goes after 得, before the adjective.
我昨天晚上睡得不好。I didn't sleep well last night.
With an object, say the verb twice or put the object before the verb.
他开车开得很小心。He drives very carefully.
No 了 between the verb and 得, even about the past.
昨天的比赛他们踢得很好。They played very well in yesterday's match.
A closer look
De after the verb and de before it
Chinese has two places to describe an action. Before the verb, with 地, the description says how the action is being carried out: 他慢慢地走了, “he walked off slowly”. After the verb, with 得, it is a judgement on the result or the habit: 他走得很慢, “he walks slowly”, “he is a slow walker”.
The part after 得 can be much more than an adjective. A whole clause can describe how far something went: 他高兴得跳了起来, “he was so happy he jumped up”; 我累得不想说话, “I am too tired to talk”.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
-
the verb is a two-syllable verb whose second part is really an object, such as 游泳, 跑步, 唱歌 or 睡觉
say the whole verb first, then only its first syllable again with 得.
他游泳游得很快。He swims very fast.
Only the verb part can carry 得; the second syllable behaves like an object.
How to spot it
- 得很
- 得不
- …得怎么样
Example sentences
你的中文说得很流利。You speak Chinese very fluently.
他每天都来得很晚。He comes very late every day.
这件事你做得太好了！You handled this brilliantly!
我妈妈做菜做得非常好吃。My mother cooks really delicious food.
你昨天晚上睡得怎么样？How did you sleep last night?
她字写得不太好看。Her handwriting is not very neat.
8 more example sentences
他走得很慢。He walks very slowly.
你来得正好！You have come at just the right time!
这次考试你考得怎么样？How did you do in the exam?
我打篮球打得不好。I'm not good at basketball.
她笑得很开心。She laughed happily.
孩子们玩得很高兴。The children had a great time.
他歌唱得比我好。He sings better than I do.
这篇文章写得很清楚。This article is written very clearly.
Worth knowing (1)
-
A compliment and the modest reply
你中文说得真好 is the compliment every learner hears sooner or later. Agreeing with it sounds boastful; the usual reply plays it down.
你中文说得真好！——哪里哪里，还差得远呢。Your Chinese is really good! — Oh, not at all, I still have a long way to go.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English “she speaks Chinese well” runs verb, object, description. In Chinese 得 must follow the verb directly, and the object is in the way. Say the verb again after the object, or move the object to the front: 她中文说得很好.
Verb, de, then how — and if there is an object, say the verb twice.
Your turn
9 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.