Chinese grammar: COMPLEMENT OF RESULT

Complement of result is usually placed after a verb or an adjective to indicate the result of an action or the change of a status. For example, “找 zhǎo” means to look for, but “找到 zhǎodào” means to find. So “到 dào” is the result  of “找 zhǎo”.

  • Pattern one: Subject+  + Verb + complement of result + object

我 昨天晚上 没找 到 他。Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshàng méi zhǎodào tā.

The above sentence means I didn’t find him last night.

The basic structure is “verb + result” and the negative way is “Verb + 不 + result” or “没 + Verb + result”. Here are some most popular complements of result in Chinese:

1)“Verb + 到 dào” means “I can get something. For example:

我买到票了。Wǒ mǎi dào piào le.     I got the ticket.

我买不到票。/ 我没买到票。 Wǒ mǎi bù dào piào. / Wǒ méi mǎi dào piào      

 I couldn’t get a ticket.

2)“Verb + 对 duì”means “to do something correctly”. For example:

你找对人了。Nǐ zhǎo duì rén le.    You found the right person.

你没找对人。Nǐ méi zhǎo duì rén.    You didn’t find the right person.

3)“Verb + 错 cuò” means “to do something incorrectly”. For example:

你打错电话了。 Nǐ dǎ cuò diànhuà le.    You dialed the wrong number.

我没打错电话。 Wǒ méi dǎ cuò diànhuà.     I didn’t dial the wrong number.

4)“verb + 完 wán” means “to finish doing something”. For example:

我吃完饭了。 Wǒ chī wán fàn le.    I finished my meal.

我没吃完饭。 Wǒ méi chī wán fàn.     I haven’t finished my meal.

5)“verb + 见 Jiàn” means “to see or hear something”. For example:

我听见他的声音了。 Wǒ tīngjiàn tā de shēngyīn le.   I heard his voice.

我没听见他的声音。 Wǒ méi tīngjiàn tā de shēngyīn.   I didn’t hear his voice.

Note:

Complement of result is a big family and each of them can only follow a certain group of words to show the result. In English, such thing as complement of result doesn’t exit so it would be better to learn this grammar point from a Mandarin instructor or native speakers.

Exercise

  • Please fill in the blanks with proper words.
  • V + 错 cuò +(O) 

Example:Becky说 “水饺 shuǐjiǎo”,我 觉 得 她 说 “睡觉 shuìjiào”。—-我 听 错 了 (Becky的话)。   Becky shuō “shuǐjiǎo”, wǒ juédé tā shuō “shuìjiào”. —-Wǒ tīng cuòle (Becky dehuà).

  • 如果你( )了事,你应该说对不起。 Rúguǒ nǐ (  ) le shì, nǐ yīnggāi shuō duìbùqǐ.(did something wrong)
  • 不好意思,这个问题你( )。 Bù hǎoyìsi, zhè ge wèntí nǐ (  ).  (answer)
  • 你( )房间了,你的房间是402,这里是302.    Nǐ ( ) fángjiān le, nǐ de fángjiān shì 402, zhèli shì 302.(walk)
  • 您( )电话了,我 不是 Becky,我 是Cecily.    Nín ( ) diànhuà le, wǒ bùshì Becky, wǒ shì Cecily.(call)
  • 这是“考”字,不是“老”字,你( )了。 Zhè shì “kǎo” zì, bùshì “lǎo” zì, nǐ (  ) le.(write)
  • V + 对 duì +(O)

1)如果你要寄东西去德国,请( )你的地址,不要( )。

Rúguǒ nǐ yào jì dōngxī qù déguó, qǐng (  ) nǐ de dìzhǐ, bùyào (  ). (write)

2)如果你( )了主持人的问题,你可以得到一个小礼物。

Rúguǒ nǐ ( ) le zhǔchírén de wèntí, nǐ kěyǐ dédào yī ge xiǎo lǐwù.(answer)

3)A:你做什么工作? Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?

B:你猜猜。 Nǐ cāi cāi.

A:我猜你是老师。 Wǒ cāi nǐ shì lǎoshī.

B:你( )了!真聪明。 Nǐ ( ) le! Zhēn cōngmíng.

4)这条路上的人很少,我们真的( )了路吗?  Zhè tiáo lùshàng de rén hěn shǎo, wǒmen zhēn de ( ) le lù ma?(walk)

  • Please translate the following sentences into Chinese.
  • It may take me a month to finish this work.
  • It took me an hour to finish cleaning my room.
  • Have you finished your homework? No, not yet.
  • Please clean the room after dinner.
  • He felt a little bit tired after the meeting.
  • V + 到 dào + O
  • Please speak loudly because I can’t hear you.
  • When she heard the news, she seemed very unhappy.
  • I saw some interesting pictures on the internet.
  • When I look outside, I always see him.
  • I can’t find my textbook.
  • He has found a job in a hotel.

Answer

  • Please fill in the blanks with proper words.
  • V + 错 cuò +(O) 

Example:Becky说 “水饺 shuǐjiǎo”,我 觉 得 她 说 “睡觉 shuìjiào”。—-我 听 错 了 (Becky的话)。   Becky shuō “shuǐjiǎo”, wǒ juédé tā shuō “shuìjiào”. —-Wǒ tīng cuòle (Becky dehuà).

  • Rúguǒ nǐ ( 做错zuòcuò ) le shì, nǐ yīnggāi shuō duìbùqǐ.(did something wrong)
  •  Bù hǎoyìsi, zhè ge wèntí nǐ ( 回答错了 huídá cuò le  ).  (answer)
  • Nǐ ( 走错  zǒucuò  ) fángjiān le, nǐ de fángjiān shì 402, zhèli shì 302.(walk)
  • Nín ( 打错 dǎcuò ) diànhuà le, wǒ bùshì Becky, wǒ shì Cecily.(call)
  • Zhè shì “kǎo” zì, bùshì “lǎo” zì, nǐ ( 写错 xiěcuò  ) le.(write)
  • V + 对 duì +(O)

1)如果你要寄东西去德国,请( 写对)你的地址,不要( 写错了 )。

Rúguǒ nǐ yào jì dōngxī qù déguó, qǐng ( xiěduì ) nǐ de dìzhǐ, bùyào ( xiěcuò le  ). (write)

2)如果你( 回到对 )了主持人的问题,你可以得到一个小礼物。

Rúguǒ nǐ ( huídá duì ) le zhǔchírén de wèntí, nǐ kěyǐ dédào yī ge xiǎo lǐwù.(answer)

3)A:你做什么工作? Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?

B:你猜猜。 Nǐ cāi cāi.

A:我猜你是老师。 Wǒ cāi nǐ shì lǎoshī.

B:你( 猜对)了!真聪明。 Nǐ ( cāiduì) le! Zhēn cōngmíng.

4)这条路上的人很少,我们真的( 走对 )了路吗?  Zhè tiáo lùshàng de rén hěn shǎo, wǒmen zhēn de ( zǒuduì ) le lù ma?(walk)

  • Please translate the following sentences into Chinese.

我可能要一个月才能做完这个工作。

我花了一个小时打扫完房间。

你做完你的作业了吗? 没有(做完)

你吃完饭打扫一下房间。

他开完会有一点儿累。

wǒ kěnéng yào yī ge yuè cái néng zuò wán zhè ge gōngzuò 。

wǒ huā le yī ge xiǎoshí dǎsǎo wán fángjiān 。

nǐ zuòwán nǐ de zuòyè le ma ? méiyǒu (zuòwán )

nǐ chī wán fàn dǎsǎo yī xià fángjiān 。

tā kāi wán huì yǒu yīdiǎnr lèi 。

  • V + dào + O

请说大声一点,我听不到(你说话)。

她听到那个消息的时候,看起来很不高兴。

我在网上看到一些很有意思的照片。

我向外看的时候,总是看到他。

我找不到我的课本了。

他在酒店找到了一个工作。

qǐng shuō d shēng yī diǎn ,wǒ tīng bú dào (nǐ shuōhuà )。

tā tīng dào nà ge xiāoxi de shíhou ,kànqǐlái hěn bú gāoxìng 。

wǒ zài wǎng shàng kàn dào yī xiē hěn yǒ yìsī de zhàopiàn 。

wǒ xiàng wài kàn de shíhou ,zǒngshì kàndào tā 。

wǒ zhǎobúdào wǒ de kèběn le 。

tā zài jiǔdiàn zhǎ dào le yī ge gōngzuò 。

This is Becky’s Chinese lesson, you’re welcome to share my materials to your friends.

Ten Most Important Sentence Structures for Learning Mandarin Chinese

Becky Huang

Hey, my name is Becky. I'm a Chinese teacher certified by the Confucius Institute with 14 years of teaching experience. I wrote all these exercises based on the New HSK Standard (2021).