Result Complements — 结果补语
Overview
A result complement (结果补语, jiéguǒ bǔyǔ) is a word attached directly after a verb to indicate the result or outcome of that action. Unlike English (“wash clean”, “eat full”), Mandarin requires this attachment — the main verb alone does not imply completion or result. The complement is an adjective or verb that describes the state achieved. Negation places 没 before the whole Verb+Complement unit.
Pattern(s)
Subject + Verb + ResultComplement + (Object)
Subject + 没 + Verb + ResultComplement + (Object) ← negation (action didn't achieve result)
Subject + Verb + ResultComplement + 了 + (Object) ← completed with resultPotential form (V得/V不 + RC) indicates whether the result can or cannot be achieved — this is a distinct grammar point at HSK 3.
Common Result Complements
| Complement | Pinyin | Meaning after verb | Example verb pairing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 完 | wán | finish / complete | 做完, 吃完, 写完, 看完 |
| 好 | hǎo | successfully done / well | 做好, 准备好, 写好 |
| 到 | dào | reach / succeed in | 买到, 找到, 看到, 听到 |
| 懂 | dǒng | understand (as a result) | 听懂, 看懂, 学懂 |
| 错 | cuò | incorrectly / by mistake | 写错, 说错, 拿错 |
| 见 | jiàn | perceive (through senses) | 看见, 听见, 闻见 |
| 住 | zhù | hold / secure / stop | 记住, 抓住, 停住 |
| 开 | kāi | open / away / start | 打开, 推开, 分开 |
| 清楚 | qīngchǔ | clearly | 说清楚, 听清楚, 看清楚 |
| 饱 | bǎo | full (from eating) | 吃饱 |
| 累 | lèi | tired (from doing) | 跑累, 走累 |
| 对 | duì | correctly | 写对, 猜对, 说对 |
Core Examples
完 (finish)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我吃完饭了。 | Wǒ chī wán fàn le. | I’ve finished eating. |
| 作业做完了吗？ | Zuòyè zuò wán le ma? | Have you finished your homework? |
| 他没看完那本书。 | Tā méi kàn wán nà běn shū. | He didn’t finish reading that book. |
到 (reach/succeed)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你找到钥匙了吗？ | Nǐ zhǎo dào yàoshi le ma? | Did you find the keys? |
| 我买到票了！ | Wǒ mǎi dào piào le! | I managed to get tickets! |
| 没听到，再说一遍。 | Méi tīng dào, zài shuō yī biàn. | Didn’t hear it — say it again. |
懂 (understand)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你听懂了吗？ | Nǐ tīng dǒng le ma? | Did you understand (by listening)? |
| 我看懂了这篇文章。 | Wǒ kàn dǒng le zhè piān wénzhāng. | I understood this article (by reading it). |
| 他说得太快，我没听懂。 | Tā shuō de tài kuài, wǒ méi tīng dǒng. | He spoke too fast; I didn’t understand. |
错 / 对 (wrong / right)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你写错字了。 | Nǐ xiě cuò zì le. | You wrote the character wrong. |
| 我拿错包了！ | Wǒ ná cuò bāo le! | I took the wrong bag! |
| 你猜对了！ | Nǐ cāi duì le! | You guessed correctly! |
住 (secure/memorise)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你记住这个词了吗？ | Nǐ jì zhù zhè ge cí le ma? | Did you memorise this word? |
| 请抓住扶手。 | Qǐng zhuā zhù fúshǒu. | Please hold onto the handrail. |
Pitfalls
❌ Placing 了 between the verb and complement
我吃了完饭。❌ → 我吃完饭了。✅ The complement follows the verb immediately. 了 goes after the whole V+RC unit.
❌ Using 不 to negate a result complement
我不吃完。❌ (ungrammatical for “didn’t finish eating”) 我没吃完。✅ For completed actions with RC, negate with 没 (not 不). 不 is only used in the potential form (吃不完 = can’t finish).
❌ Omitting the complement when result is implied
我看书了。= “I read / was reading” (no result implied) 我看完书了。= “I finished reading the book” (result: completion) Without the complement, completion is not stated.
❌ Confusing 看见 (see / perceived) with 看到 (successfully see) Both are close in meaning; 看见 emphasises the sensory act; 看到 emphasises the achievement. In practice they’re nearly interchangeable, but 看到 is preferred when the object was actively sought.
Minimal Pairs
| Verb alone | V + RC | |
|---|---|---|
| 吃 | 我吃饭了。(I ate / started eating) | 我吃完饭了。(I finished eating) |
| 找 | 我找钥匙。(I’m looking for my keys) | 我找到钥匙了。(I found my keys) |
| 听 | 我听他说话。(I listened to him) | 我听懂他说话了。(I understood what he said) |
| RC | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 完 | action completed | 做完作业 — finished homework |
| 好 | action done successfully/correctly | 做好准备 — prepared well |
| 到 | action reached its goal | 买到票 — got the ticket |
| 错 | action done wrongly | 说错话 — said the wrong thing |
Drills
Fill in the correct result complement (完/到/懂/错/好/见/住):
- 老师说的我都听___了。(I understood everything)
- 你的名字我记___了。(I’ve memorised your name)
- 作业写___了吗？(Have you finished your homework?)
- 他把字写___了，老师让他重写。(wrote it wrong)
- 我在超市买___那种茶了！(successfully bought)
- 远处好像有人——你看___了吗？(did you see/perceive?)
- 饭我已经做___了，快来吃吧。(done/ready)
Answer Key: 1. 懂 2. 住 3. 完 4. 错 5. 到 6. 见 7. 好
Notes
- Result complements are tightly bonded to the verb — no pause or particle between them.
- Many V+RC pairs have become fixed lexical units: 看见, 听见, 找到, 记住, 打开 — learn these as vocabulary chunks.
- The potential form (V得RC / V不RC) is a distinct grammar point: 做得完 (“can finish”) vs 做不完 (“can’t finish”). See HSK 3, L6.
- 好 as a result complement means “successfully completed to a satisfactory state,” not merely “in a good manner” — 准备好了 means “fully prepared,” not “prepared nicely.”
Sources
- HSK Level: 2 (also tested: HSK 3)
- HSK Standard Course 2 — L9 (结果补语)
- HSK Standard Course 3 — L1 (结果补语”好”), L6 (V得/不+RC possibility form)