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THE MODAL COMPLEMENT is used to describe or evaluate the state of an action or behavior.

• Pattern one: Verb + 得(de) + adv. + adj.

Example:

• 你今天穿得很漂亮啊。

Nǐ jīntiān chuān de hěn piàoliang a .

You look very pretty today.

• 这次住得不太好。 

Zhè cì zhù de bú tài hǎo .

Our stay isn’t very pleasant this time.

• 听说这两年上海发展得非常快。 

Tīngshuō zhè liǎng nián Shànghǎi fāzhǎn de fēicháng kuài.

I heard that Shanghai has developed rapidly in the past two years.

• Pattern two: Verb + 得(de)  + adj. + 不(bu)+ adj.

Example:

• 你们在西安玩儿得好不好？

Nǐmen zài Xī’ān wánr de hǎo bù hǎo？

Did you have fun in Xi’an?

• 北京烤鸭做得好吃不好吃？

Běijīng kǎoyā zuò de hǎochī bù hǎochī?

Is Beijing roast duck good?

• 我汉语说得快不快？

Wǒ hànyǔ shuō de kuài búkuài?

Do I speak Chinese fast?

Pattern three: (Verb + )O + Verb(repeat) + 得(de) + adv.+ adj.

Example:

• 他们（说）普通话说得怎么样？

Tāmen (shuō) pǔtōnghuà shuō de zěnmeyàng ?

How is their spoken Mandarin?

• 老师（教）语法教得快不快？

Lǎoshī (jiāo) yǔfǎ jiāo de kuài bú kuài?

Does the teacher teach grammar fast?

Note:

In pattern three, where a Verb-object word appeared, we need to repeat the verb before   to make the content clear. But for some special VO structure words, the verb itself is clear enough to deliver the meaning of an action. In this case, the object is optional, such as ，，. For example: “他睡觉睡得很好。Tā shuìjiào shuì de hěn hǎo.” Is the same with “他睡得很好。Tā shuì de hěn hǎo”. 

Exercise:

Please make sentences with the words given.

1. 来                      得        早                lái                      de        zǎo  
2. 说                     得        流利           shuō                   de         liúlì
3. 玩儿                 得        好               wánr                   de        hǎo
4. 发展                 得       快不快       fāzhǎn                de        kuài bu kuài
5. 写汉字            得         还可以     xiě hànzì            de         háikěyǐ

Please translate the following sentences into Chinese with the words given.

1. Did I write the correctly ? Have a look at it.(得(de)，看(kàn)）
2. Is Shanghai developing rapidly?（得(de)）
3. The teacher teaches grammar too slowly.（得(de)，太(tài)） 

Ten Most Important Sentence Structures for Learning Mandarin Chinese