Skip main navigation

Introducing Resultative Complements

In this video, Dr Li will introduce resultative complements.

In this video we learn “结果补语(jiéguǒ bǔyǔ)resultative complements”, expressing the results of actions.

Resultative complements use either a verb or an adjective, the complement that follows the verb indicates the result of the action.

  • S+V+Resultative Complement+了

她买好了。Tā mǎihǎo le. She has finished shopping.

“买mǎi (buy) ” is a verb and “好” is a resultative complement. Here “好”means “finish”,expressing the result of “买mǎi (buy) ” . And the particle “了” is needed after the complement.

Some more examples:

她擦干净了。Tā cā gànjìng le. She wiped it clean.

宝宝喝完了。Bǎobao hē wán le. The baby has finished drinking.

  • S+V+ Resultative complement +O+了

If there is an object of the verb,we should put the object after the Resultative complement, because Resultative complements are closely bound to verbs,there cannot be other words in between.

For example:

她剪好 “福” 字了。

The object“福”字 comes after the resultative complement好.

Now you have finished reading this article,you can say:

我看完这篇文章了。Wǒ kànwán zhèpiān wénzhāng le.

Well,Have you understood it?你看懂了吗? Nǐ kàndǒng le ma?

Please share your ideas here.

The following is Chinese and English Version of Situational Dialogue in the Video:

王小宝:西西,你剪短你的头发了!

西西:是的,王小宝,你周末做什么了?

王小宝:我去商场买东西了,可是回家时坐错了车,好尴尬。

西西:你做完作业了吗?

王小宝:我做完了,不过汉字很难,我写错了很多字。

西西: 没关系,多写写就好了。

Wáng Xiǎobǎo: Xixi, you have your hair cut.

Xīxī: Uh-huh, what did you do at this weekends? Wang Xiaobao?

Wáng Xiǎobǎo: I went shopping in the mall, but it’s so embarrassing that I took the wrong bus when I went home.

Xīxī: Have you finished your homework?

Wáng Xiǎobǎo:Yes, but Chinese character is so difficult, and I made several mistakes.

Xīxī: It doesn’t matter. Practice makes perfect.

© Shanghai International Studies University

This article is from the free online

Learn Chinese: Introduction to Chinese Grammar

Created by
FutureLearn - Learning For Life

Reach your personal and professional goals

Unlock access to hundreds of expert online courses and degrees from top universities and educators to gain accredited qualifications and professional CV-building certificates.

Join over 18 million learners to launch, switch or build upon your career, all at your own pace, across a wide range of topic areas.

Start Learning now