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How to use the potential complement in Mandarin

By: Grace Zhang Fri Aug 30 2024
Mandarin chinese
Complements

In Mandarin Chinese, a complement completes the meaning of a given expression, and a potential complement indicates whether an action is possible. For example:

他吃得了辣椒。

(Tā chī de liǎo làjiāo.)

He can eat chili.

This sentence above is not about whether he ate chili, but rather whether he can eat it, i.e., his general ability. In this sentence,  (de) is the marker of potential complement, and the complement (liǎo, finish) refers to the capability of completing an action. The negative version of this sentence is:

他吃不了辣椒。

(Tā chī bù liǎo làjiāo.)

He can’t eat chili.

The question version is:

他吃得了不了辣椒?

(Tā chī de liǎo chī bù liǎo làjiāo?)

Can he eat chili?

You can also simply add  (ma) to make a question:

他吃得了辣椒吗?

(Tā chī de liǎo làjiāo ma?)

Can he eat chili?

Or, you can make an A-non A type of question:

吃不吃得了辣椒?

(Tā chī bù chī de liǎo làjiāo?)

Can he eat chili?

Why should you care about the potential complement in Mandarin? Well, the potential complement tends to be different among different languages. For example, 我做不完作业 (Wǒ zuò bù wán zuòyè, I cannot finish homework) is conveyed in English as “I cannot finish homework.” In Mandarin, 不完 (bù wán, cannot (finish)) is a potential complement and is placed after the verb (zuò, finish). However, in English “cannot” is an auxiliary verb and is placed before the verb “finish.” Intrigued? Dive in to learn more.

Table of Contents

    What are the three patterns of potential complements in Mandarin Chinese?

    There are three patterns for potential complements in Mandarin Chinese: a positive pattern, a negative pattern, and a question form pattern. Let’s review the positive pattern first.

    What is the positive pattern of potential complements?

    The positive pattern of potential complements in Mandarin Chinese is:

    verb +  (de) + complement

    In Mandarin, “ (de) + complement" makes up a positive potential complement, meaning “able to” do something or that the action can happen. The complement after  (de) expresses the outcome of an action or event. For example, in the sentence 我说清楚 (Wǒ shuō de qīngchu, I’m able to explain clearly), the verb is (shuō, speak/explain),  (de) indicates "able to," and 清楚 (qīngchu, clear/clearly) indicates the ability to explain something "clearly."

    What is the negative pattern of potential complements?

    The negative pattern of potential complements in Mandarin Chinese is:

    verb +  () + complement

    In the negative form of the potential complement,  (de) is replaced by  (). " + complement" means “unable to” do something or that the action can’t happen. For example, in the sentence 我看 (Wǒ kàn bù wán, I’m unable to finish reading), here the verb is (kàn, read),  () is he marker of potential complement (“unable to”), and the complement (wán, finish) indicates the result of the action: (kàn, read).

    Tip

    Pay attention to the position of (, not): put in a different position, may no longer mark a potential complement. For example:

    Potential complement:

    他写好。

    (Tā xiě bù hǎo. )

    He is unable to write well.

    Not a potential complement:

    他写得好。

    (Tā xiě de bù hǎo.)

    He didn’t write well.

    The first sentence is a potential complement, because it refers to general ability. The second sentence refers to what has happened, no longer about potentiality, where  (de) conveys the result of the action “write.”

    What is the question form pattern of potential complements?

    There are three ways of asking a question with a potential complement:

    Add  (ma):

    你吃得完

    (Nǐ chī de wán ma?)

    Can you finish the meal?

    Repeat the first verb using A-not-A structure

    吃不吃得完?

    (Nǐ chī bù chī de wán?)

    Can you finish the meal?

    Positive + negative combination:
    Positive: verb + + complement
    Negative: verb + + complement

    你吃完吃完?

    (Nǐ chī de wán chī bù wán?)

    Can you finish the meal?

    Important

    Potential complements can be substituted by using other possibility expressions in Mandarin Chinese. For example:

    可以/吃完。 = 我吃完。

    (Wǒ kěyǐ/néng chī wán. = Wǒ chī de wán.)

    I can finish the meal.

    We can also say, 可以/ (Wǒ kěyǐ/néng chī de wán, I can finish the meal). This sentence expresses a somewhat enhanced probability.

    What are commonly used potential complements in Mandarin Chinese?

    There are many potential complements in Mandarin and they can be used in three structure types:

    • Type 1: verb + verb (able/unable to achieve an action)

    • Type 2: verb + verb (able/unable to move in a certain direction)

    • Type 3: verb + adjective (able/unable to achieve a result)

    The following tables consist of some frequently used potential complements. As you will see below, the second verb/adjective (i.e. the potential complement) in the table refers to the ability to achieve the action represented by the first verb.

    Type of potential
    complement structure
    Potential complement
    structure
    Examples
    Type 1: verb + verb
    (able/unable to achieve an action)

    verb + (jiàn, able to achieve the action represented by the verb)

    看得

    (kàn de jiàn )

    able to see

    听不

    (tīng bù jiàn)

    unable to hear

    Note: When you want to say you can achieve an action, you can use verb + + , and if you cannot, use verb + + . Keep in mind that here is used as a potential complement and it is not simply translated as "see."

    verb + (dǒng, understand)

    看得

    (kàn de dǒng)

    able to understand (by seeing)

    看不

    (kàn bù dǒng)

    unable to understand

    verb + (wán, finish)

    做得

    (zuò de wán )

    able to finish

    用不

    (yòng bù wán)

    unable to use up

    verb + (dào, achieve)

    找得

    (zhǎo de dào )

    able to find

    买不

    (mǎi bù dào)

    unable to buy

    verb + (liǎo, finish)

    走得

    (zǒu de liǎo)

    able to leave

    受不

    (shòu bù liǎo)

    unable to stand it

    verb + (, afford)

    租得

    (zū de qǐ)

    able to rent

    养不

    (yǎng bù qǐ)

    unable to support

    verb + (dòng, move)

    抱得

    (bào de dòng)

    able to hold

    走不

    (zǒu bù dòng)

    unable to walk

    verb +  (zháo)

    睡得

    (shuì de zháo)

    able to sleep

    够不

    (gòu bù zháo)

    unable to reach

    Note: as a potential complement is pronounced “zháo” and not “zhe.”

    Type of potential
    complement structure
    Potential complement
    structure
    Examples
    Type 2: verb + verb
    (able/unable to move
    in a certain direction)

    verb + (lái, come up)

    上得

    (shàng de lái)

    able to come up

    起不

    (qǐ bù lái)

    unable to get up

    verb + (, go down)

    下得

    (xià de qù )

    able to go down

    上不

    (shàng bù qù)

    unable to go up

    verb + 起来 (qǐlái, get up)

    拿得起来

    (ná de qǐlái)

    able to pick up

    想不起来

    (xiǎng bù qǐlái)

    unable to recall

    verb + 进去 (jìnqù, go in)

    走得进去

    (zǒu de jìnqù)

    able to walk in

    爬不进去

    (pá bù jìnqù)

    unable to climb in

    verb + 进去 (jìnqù, go in)

    走得进去

    (zǒu de jìnqù)

    able to walk in

    爬不进去

    (pá bù jìnqù)

    unable to climb in

    verb + 进去 (jìnqù, go in)

    走得进去

    (zǒu de jìnqù )

    able to walk in

    爬不进去

    (pá bù jìnqù)

    unable to climb in

    verb + 过去 (guòqù, go over)

    开得过去

    (kāi de guòqù )

    able to drive through

    说不过去

    (shuō bù guòqù)

    unable to justify

    verb + 下去 (xiàqù, go down/on)

    办得下去

    (bàn de xiàqù)

    able to carry on

    看不下去

    (kàn bù xiàqù)

    unable to watch

    verb + (shàng, up)

    穿得

    (chuān de shàng )

    able to wear

    看不

    (kàn bù shàng)

    unable to stand the sight of something/someone

    verb + (xià, down)

    装得

    (zhuāng de xià )

    able to accommodate

    吃不

    (chī bù xià)

    unable to eat

    Type of potential
    complement structure
    Potential complement
    structure
    Examples
    Type 3: verb + adjective
    (able/unable
    to achieve a result)

    verb + 清楚 (qīngchu, clear)

    看得清楚

    (kàn de qīngchu)

    able to see clearly

    说不清楚

    (shuō bù qīngchu)

    unable to speak clearly

    verb + 明白 (míngbai, understand)

    听得明白

    (tīng de míngbai)

    able to understand what has been heard

    想不明白

    (xiǎng bù míngbai)

    unable to understand

    verb + 干净 (gānjìng, clean)

    洗得干净

    (xǐ de gānjìng)

    able to wash clean

    擦不干净

    (cā bù gānjìng)

    unable to wipe clean

    verb + (hǎo, good)

    做得

    (zuò de hǎo)

    able to do it well

    修不

    (xiū bù hǎo)

    unable to repair

    In the above tables, some potential complements are used in a metaphorical sense, rather than a literal directional sense. For example, in the sentence 你这样做有点说不过去 (Nǐ zhèyàng zuò yǒudiǎn shuō bu guòqù, It's kind of unreasonable for you to do this), the directional word 过去 (guòqù, go over) is used in the phrase 说不过去 (shuō bù guòqù, unable to justify), so

    过去

    Translation

    becomes idiomatic and metaphorical.

    Tip

    A potential complement is about “potential” and “hypothetical,” so they don’t go with the particle  (le), which indicates the completion of action. For example:

    Potential complement:

    我看清楚。

    (Wǒ kàn de qīngchu.)

    I’m able to see clearly.

    Completion of action:

    我看清楚

    (Wǒ kàn qīngchu le. )

    I’ve seen clearly.

    To sum up

    As the name suggests, potential complements are all about the potentiality. They indicate whether something can happen, or someone can do something. Potential complements in Mandarin Chinese express the possibility that something may be achieved. They have three types:

    • Positive: verb + + complement

    • Positive: verb + + complement

    • Question:

      • verb + potential complement + , or

      • verb + + verb + + complement, or

      • verb + + complement + verb + + complement

    There are three categories of commonly used potential complements in Mandarin:

    • verb + verb (able to achieve an action)

    • verb + verb (able to move in a certain direction)

    • verb + adjective (able to achieve a result)

    Do you want to try out what you have read above? Here are exercises to practice potential complements in Mandarin Chinese that we have prepared for you. Come on, you will have fun!

    Downloadable Resources

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    How to use the potential complement in Mandarin Chinese~Activities

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