IX. Verbs as complements
Only stative
verbs and verbs can be used as resultative
complements.
Verbs
are often used as complements to indicate different resultative
aspects of an action, such as wán完finish, jiàn见, dào到, zháo着, liǎo了, zhù住, dǒng懂, dòng动, kāi开, huì会, zài在, gěi给, chéng成, zuò作, wéi为, zǒu走, pǎo跑, sǐ死, tòu透, etc.
-wán完finish (can go with many
verbs to indicate that someone has finished doing the action)
1. kànwán 看完 finish
(reading/watching/seeing)
2. shuōwán 说完 finish
(speaking/talking)
3. xuéwán 学完 finish
(studying)
4. zuòwán 做完 finish
(doing)
5. xiěwán 写完 finish
(writing)
etc.
Example: kànwán看完(kàn看read + wán完finish)
finish reading
Zhèi běn shū nǐ
kànwán le méi yǒu?
这本书你看完了没有？
Have you finished reading
the book?
-jiàn见perceive (jiàn见 indicates perception)
1. kànjiàn 看见 see
2. tīngjiàn 听见 hear
3. pèngjiàn 碰见 bump
into
4. yùjiàn 遇见 run
into
etc.
Example: kànjiàn看见 (kàn看look + jiàn见perceive)
see
Zuótiān wǒ méi (yǒu)
kànjiàn Lǎo
Wáng.
昨天我没(有)看见老王。
Yesterday I did not see Old
Wang.
-dào到(1). implying that an action has attained the
expected aim or result
1. kàndào 看到 see
2. tīngdào 听到 hear
3. yùdào 遇到 run
into
4. jiēdào 接到 receive
5. shōudào 收到 receive
6. zhǎodào 找到 find
7. mǎidào 买到 succeed
in buying
etc.
Example 1: zhǎodào找到 (zhǎo找to look for
+ dào到[attain the expected result])
find
Wǒ zhǎodào Lǐ Xiānsheng
le.
我找到李先生了。
I have found Mr. Li.
Example 2: mǎidào买到 (mǎi买to buy + dào到[attain the expected result])
succeed in buying
Wǒ qùwǎn le. Méi yǒu mǎidào
diànyǐng piào.
我去晚了。没有买到电影票。
I was late./ I got there late. [So,] I did not manage to get the movie
tickets.
-dào到(2) : reach or arrive at (a place or a
point of time)
1. zǒudào 走到 walk to
/until/up to
2. pǎodào 跑到 run to
/until/up to
3. xuédào 学到 study
until/up to,
4. shuìdào 睡到 sleep
until/up to
5. mángdào 忙到 be
busy until/up to
6. kàndào 看到 read
or watch until/up to
7. tīngdào 听到 listen
until/up to
etc.
Example 1: xuédào学到
(xué学to study + dào到 until/up
to) study until/up to
Wǒmen xuédào Dì
Bā Kè le.
我们学到第八课了。
We have studied up to
Lesson 8 so far.
Example 2:
Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒmen xué Zhōngwén xuédào shíyī
diǎn.
昨天晚上我们学中文学到十一点。
We studied Chinese until
-zháo着implying that an action has
attained the expected aim or result
1. zhǎozháo 找着 find (找着is the same as zhǎodào找到.)
2. shuìzháo 睡着 fall
asleep (not the same as 睡到)
etc.
Example: shuìzháo睡着 (shuì睡to sleep + zháo着[attain the expected result])
fall asleep
Háizi-men dōu shuìzháo le.
孩子们都睡着了。
The children have all
fallen asleep.
-zhù住has the meaning of
retaining or keeping something at a certain place as the result of the action
1. jìzhù 记住 remember;
learn by heart; bear in mind
2. názhù 拿住 hold
in place by hand(s)
etc.
Example: jìzhù记住 (jì记to remember
+ zhù住retain/keep)
learn by heart, bear in mind
Tā-de dìzhǐ wǒ méi
jìzhù.
他的地址我没记住。
I did not learn his address
by heart.
-dǒng懂understand; comprehend
1. kàndǒng 看懂 understand
by reading/looking
2. tīngdǒng 听懂 understand
by listening
etc.
Example: tīngdǒng听懂 (tīng听to listen + dǒng懂understand)
understand by listening
Nǐ-de huà wǒ méi
tīngdǒng. Néng bù néng zài shuō
yí biàn.
你的话我没听懂。能不能再说一遍？
I did not understand what you said. Can you
say it again?
-kāi开to be open as a result of
opening
1. dǎkāi 打开 to open
2. kāikāi 开开 to
open
etc.
Example: kāikāi 开开 (kāi开to open + kāi开being open)
to make ... open
Qǐng bǎ mén kāikāi.
请把门开开。
Please open the door.
-huì会know how to do
something/master a skill through the action
xuéhuì 学会 learn;
master
Example: xuéhuì学会 (xué学to learn + huì会know how to) learn; master
Wǒ xuéhuì kāichē
le.
我学会开车了。
I have learnt how to drive a car.
-zài在located at a place as a
result of the action
1. fàngzài 放在 put at; to
be put at
2. zhùzài 住在 to live at ...
3. zuòzài 坐在 to sit at
4. zhànzài 站在 stand at
5. xiězài 写在 write on
6. guàzài 挂在 hang on
etc.
Example: zhànzài站在 (zhàn站to stand + zài在at) to stand
at a place
Tiānqi zhème
lěng, bié zhànzài wàitou.
天气这么冷，别站在外头。
It is so cold, don’t stand
outside.
-gěi给to (pointing out the
recipient)
1. sònggěi 送给 to give to
2. jìgěi 寄给 to send to
3. jiègěi 借给 to lend to
4. màigěi 卖给 to sell to
etc.
Example: jiègěi借给 (jiè借to lend + gěi给 to) to lend to
Tā jiègěi wǒ yì běn shū.
他借给我一本书。
He lent me a book.
-chéng成become; as
1. fānyìchéng 翻译成
to
translate into
2. biànchéng 变成 to
change into
3. kànchéng 看成 to
regard as; to recognize ... mistakenly as ...
4. tīngchéng 听成 to
hear ... mistakenly as ...
5. xiěchéng 写成 to
write ... mistakenly as ...; to adapt...into
etc.
Example: xiěchéng写成 (xiě 写to write + chéng成become) to write ... mistakenly as ...; to adapt...into
Wǒ bǎ “tiān” xiěchéng “fū” le.
我把“天”写成“夫”了。
I wrote 夫 instead of 天.
-zuò作
1. kànzuò 看作 to
regard as ...
2. dāngzuò 当作 to regard as ...
etc.
Example: dāngzuò当作to regard as ...
Wáng tàitai bǎ wǒ
dāngzuò zìjǐ-de
érzi.
王太太把我当作自己的儿子。
Mrs. Wang regards me as her
own son.
-zǒu 走away
1. názǒu 拿走 to take
away
2. bānzǒu 搬走 to move
away
3. sòngzǒu 送走 to see off
4. dàizǒu 带走 to take
away
etc.
Example: bānzǒu搬走 (bān搬to move + zǒu
走away) to move away
Lǎo Zhāng jiā bānzǒu le.
老张家搬走了。
The Old Zhangs moved away.
-sǐ死death; (exaggeration
indicating extreme)
1. lèisǐ 累死 extremely
tired; tired to death
2. rèsǐ 热死 extremely
hot; deathly hot
3. èsǐ 饿死 starving;
extremely hungry
etc.
Example: rèsǐ热死 (rè热hot + sǐ死death) extremely hot
Tiānqi rèsǐ
le.
天气热死了。
The weather is extremely
hot.