Manner and state complement (V 得…)
A2 情态补语（得） 28 / 56
In short
To say how someone does something - fast, well, beautifully - put the toneless particle 得 (de) right after the verb and hang a describing phrase on it: 他跑得很快 (tā pǎo de hěn kuài, he runs fast), 她唱得很好 (tā chàng de hěn hǎo, she sings well). The pattern is Verb + 得 + [description], and the description behaves like an adjectival predicate, so it usually takes 很 (hěn).
The rule
English packs manner into an adverb before or after the verb (“runs fast”, “sings well”). Mandarin puts the judgment after the verb as a complement, joined by 得.
Step 1 - Basic frame: Verb + 得 + complement. The complement is normally an adjective phrase describing the manner or the resulting quality:
Subject + Verb + 得 + (degree adverb) + Adjective
他写得很好 (tā xiě de hěn hǎo, he writes well). The 得 is toneless (de) and glues the verb to its complement - never leave it out.
Step 2 - Keep the 很. Just like a plain adjectival predicate (see Adjectival predicate and degree adverbs), a bare adjective after 得 sounds like an unfinished comparison. For a neutral statement add 很 or another degree adverb (太 tài “too”, 非常 fēicháng “extremely”, 有点儿 yǒudiǎnr “a bit”): 他跑得很快 = “he runs fast,” while a bare 他跑得快 implies “he runs faster (than someone).” Name that someone with 比 inside the complement - Verb + 得 + 比 + X + Adj: 他写得比我快 (tā xiě de bǐ wǒ kuài, he writes faster than me). The adjective stays bare there, because 比 already carries “more” (see Comparison (比, 跟…一样, 更, 最)).
Step 3 - Negate inside the complement. Put 不 on the description, after 得, not on the verb: 他跑得不快 (tā pǎo de bú kuài, he doesn’t run fast). Saying 他不跑得快 is wrong - the verb itself is not being denied, its quality is.
Step 4 - With an object, repeat the verb. If the verb carries an object, 得 cannot reach across it. Say the verb once with the object, then say it again before 得:
Subject + Verb + Object + Verb + 得 + complement
他说汉语说得很好 (tā shuō Hànyǔ shuō de hěn hǎo, he speaks Chinese very well). You can also lift the object out front and drop the first verb: 他汉语说得很好 or 汉语他说得很好 - all three mean the same thing.
Step 5 - Ask about manner. Question the complement with A-not-A on the adjective (他跑得快不快？), with 吗 (他跑得快吗？), or open it up with 怎么样 (zěnmeyàng, “how”): 他汉语说得怎么样？ (how’s his Chinese?).
Forms & patterns
Core pattern, no object:
| Structure | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| V + 得 + 很 + Adj | 他跑得很快 (tā pǎo de hěn kuài) | he runs fast |
| V + 得 + 太 + Adj + 了 | 你来得太早了 (nǐ lái de tài zǎo le) | you came too early |
| V + 得 + 不 + Adj | 她唱得不好 (tā chàng de bù hǎo) | she doesn’t sing well |
Handling an object (three equivalent orders):
| Order | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| repeat the verb | 他说汉语说得很好 (tā shuō Hànyǔ shuō de hěn hǎo) | most explicit |
| object as topic (with 他) | 他汉语说得很好 (tā Hànyǔ shuō de hěn hǎo) | object before the verb |
| fronted object | 汉语他说得很好 (Hànyǔ tā shuō de hěn hǎo) | topic-comment |
Question forms:
| Type | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| A-not-A | 他跑得快不快？ (tā pǎo de kuài bu kuài?) | does he run fast? |
| 吗 | 他跑得快吗？ (tā pǎo de kuài ma?) | does he run fast? |
| 怎么样 | 他跑得怎么样？ (tā pǎo de zěnmeyàng?) | how does he run? |
Examples
- 他跑得很快。 (Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.) - He runs very fast.
- 你来得太早了。 (Nǐ lái de tài zǎo le.) - You came too early.
- 她唱得不好。 (Tā chàng de bù hǎo.) - She doesn’t sing well.
- 你说得对。 (Nǐ shuō de duì.) - You’re right (what you said is correct).
- 他起得很早，睡得很晚。 (Tā qǐ de hěn zǎo, shuì de hěn wǎn.) - He gets up early and goes to bed late.
- 他说汉语说得很好。 (Tā shuō Hànyǔ shuō de hěn hǎo.) - He speaks Chinese very well.
- 他汉字写得很漂亮。 (Tā Hànzì xiě de hěn piàoliang.) - He writes characters beautifully.
- 我今天吃得太多了。 (Wǒ jīntiān chī de tài duō le.) - I ate too much today.
- 他打篮球打得怎么样？ (Tā dǎ lánqiú dǎ de zěnmeyàng?) - How well does he play basketball?
- 孩子们玩得很开心。 (Háizimen wán de hěn kāixīn.) - The children played happily.
Common mistakes
- 他跑很快。 -> 他跑得很快。 (Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.) - A manner description hangs on the verb through 得; without it the sentence has no complement.
- 他说汉语得很好。 -> 他说汉语说得很好。 (Tā shuō Hànyǔ shuō de hěn hǎo.) - 得 must sit right after a verb, so when there’s an object you repeat the verb before 得.
- 他不说得好。 -> 他说得不好。 (Tā shuō de bù hǎo.) - Negate the complement with 不 after 得; you are not denying the action, only its quality.
- 他汉字写得漂亮。 -> 他汉字写得很漂亮。 (Tā Hànzì xiě de hěn piàoliang.) - A plain descriptive complement takes 很; a bare adjective sounds like an unfinished comparison.
Tips
- Word-order flip vs English: English says “runs fast,” Mandarin says “runs 得 fast” - the judgment always follows the verb. Train your ear to expect 得 the moment you want to rate how an action went.
- The complement copies adjectival-predicate rules exactly: it wants 很, it negates with 不… (not 没), and it does the 3-3 tone sandhi in 很好 -> hén hǎo (see Pinyin and tones). Note 不 shifts to bú before a 4th tone: 跑得不快 is pǎo de bú kuài.
- This 得 is toneless (de) and is a different word from the 得 (děi) “must” in the obligation lesson and the potential 得 in 跑得动 “able to run” - same character, three jobs. Here it only marks a manner or state complement.
- The repeat-the-verb rule feels clunky at first but is not optional in careful speech; when you want to avoid it, front the object as a topic: 这个字他写得很好 (this character, he writes it well).