How to use a complement of quantity in Mandarin Chinese?

Use a complement of quantity to add quantitative information to a sentenceNo definition set for sentenceLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in Mandarin Chinese. A complement is a word or phrase following a verb (e.g., “run”) or adjective (e.g., “big”) that provides additional information, such as degree, result, direction, possibility, or, in this case, quantity. Complements of quantity (数量补语 (shùliàng bǔyǔ)), also known as quantitative complements, consist of a numeral and a measure word to supply quantitative information. For example: how long an action lasted, how much of something was used, or how many items were involved. For example:

The word 锻炼 (duànliàn, to exercise) is the verb in the sentence. The complement of quantity, 一个小时 (yīgè xiǎoshí, an hour), adds additional information regarding how long the exercise has lasted. If you want to master Mandarin, you’ll definitely need to know how to express a complement of quantity, so let’s dive in!

The general pattern for the use of a complement of quantity is as follows:

The word 工作 (gōngzuò, to work) is the verb in this sentence, and the complement, 十个小时 (shígè xiǎoshí, ten hours), further explains the verb in terms of how long he worked.

The word 红 (hóng, red) is the adjectiveNo definition set for adjectiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in this sentence, and the complement 三个 (sāngè, three) describes the adjective in terms of how many apples have turned red (ripened).

When a complement of quantity follows a verb, it is called an action-measure complement (动量补语 (dòngliàng bǔyǔ)). It provides information on the frequency or duration of an action. For example:

The complement 一次 (yīcì, once) in the sentence expresses the frequency of the action (making a phone call).

n this case, instead of providing information on frequency, the complement, 一个小时 (yīgè xiǎoshí, an hour), conveys the duration of the action.

The general pattern of “verb + complement” applies when there is no object present in the sentence. However, when there is an object present, things get a bit complicated. An object refers to the person or thing that receives the action, which is indicated by the verb in the sentence. For example, in the sentence, “He called John,” John is the object, as he receives “the call” (action).

There are three common positions for action-measure complements:

• When the object is a common noun (e.g. a person or a thing), we follow the pattern below.

  verb + complement + object (common noun)

  我看了两遍电影。

  (Wǒ kàn le liǎngbiàn diànyǐng.)

  I watched the movie twice.

  In this sentence, the object 电影 (diànyǐng, movie) is a common noun, so it follows the complement 两遍 (liǎngbiàn, twice). In other words, when the object is a common noun, the complement is placed after the verb and before the object.

  It is also common to move the object to the beginning of the sentence. For example:

  这部电影我看了两遍.

  (Zhè bù diànyǐng wǒ kàn le liǎngbiàn.)

  I watched this movie twice.

  In this sentence, the object 这部电影 (zhè bù diànyǐng, this movie) has been moved to the start of the sentence. The purpose of this movement is to emphasize the object.

• When the object refers to a place (e.g. Australia) or a proper name (e.g. Teacher Wu), it could appear before or after the object. For example:

  verb + complement + object (place)

  我去了一次北京。

  (Wǒ qù le yīcì Běijīng.)

  I went to Beijing once.

  我见过一次吴老师 。

  (Wǒ jiànguo yīcì Wú Lǎoshī.)

  I met Teacher Wu once.

  verb + object (place) + complement

  我去了北京一次。

  (Wǒ qù le Běijīng yīcì.)

  I went to Beijing once.

  我见过吴老师一次 。

  (Wǒ jiànguo Wú Lǎoshī yīcì.)

  I met Teacher Wu once.

• When the object is a personal pronoun (e.g. “you,” “he”), the complement should be placed after the object.

  verb + object (personal pronoun) + complement

  我见过她一次。

  (Wǒ jiàn guò tā yīcì.)

  I met her once.

n Mandarin, most complements of quantity are used with verbs; however, when used with adjectives, the pattern for using complements of quantity is relatively simple:

两岁 (liǎngsuì, two years) is a “numeral + measure word” phrase, which functions as a complement of quantity to provide information for the adjective 大 (dà, old). That is, the elder sister is two years older than the younger sister.

When using complements of quantity in Mandarin Chinese, keep the following points in mind:

• A complement of quantity refers to something that supplies quantitative information regarding the verb or adjective in the sentence.

• A complement of quantity comes after a verb. It provides information on the frequency or duration of an action.

• A general pattern for a complement of quantity is verb/adjective + complement of quantity.

• The position of the complement varies when an object is present in a sentence. It is placed

  • before a common noun

  • after a personal pronoun

  • before or after a name for a place or a proper noun

Okay, enough with me talking about complements of quantity. Now, it’s time for you to put theory into practice. We have prepared some exercises for you to practice using complements of quantity in Mandarin Chinese, so dive on in!