Verb + 得 + Complement (degree complement)

• 拼音: de
• 结构: Verb + 得 + Complement
• 汉字拆解: 得 = 彳(step) + 日 (sun) + 寸 (inch)

含义

Use 得 (de) after a verb to describe how an action is performed or the extent of its result. The complement following 得 can be an adjective, a phrase, or a clause that evaluates the manner or degree of the verb.

The degree complement is one of the most common complement structures in Mandarin. It differs from the structural particle 的 used before nouns and the adverbial particle 地 used before verbs. When using 得 complements with a verb that has an object, the verb must be repeated — first with the object, then again with 得 and the complement (e.g., 他说中文说得很好). In negative form, 不 is placed before the complement adjective, not before the main verb (e.g., 他跑得不快). Beginners often confuse this 得 with 的 and 地, but remembering that 得 always follows a verb and introduces an evaluation helps distinguish them.

例句

1. 她唱歌唱得非常好听。
2. 弟弟跑得比我快多了。
3. 老师讲课讲得很清楚。

用法指南

语境: spoken, written, everyday

语气: descriptive

正确说法

• 这道菜做得真好吃。
• 她中文说得越来越流利了。
• 孩子们今天玩得很开心。

错误说法

• 他说中文得很好。(When a verb has an object, the object cannot come between the verb and 得 directly — repeat the verb or front the object: 他说中文说得很好 or 他中文说得很好) → 他说中文说得很好。
• 他不跑得快。(不 must be placed inside the complement after 得, not before the main verb — say 他跑得不快) → 他跑得不快。
• 她很好得唱歌。(The degree complement comes AFTER the verb — the structure is Verb + 得 + Complement, not Complement + 得 + Verb — say 她唱歌唱得很好) → 她唱歌唱得很好。

起源与历史

The character 得 originally meant 'to obtain' or 'to get.' Its grammatical use as a degree complement marker developed during the Tang Dynasty, evolving from indicating the result of obtaining something to describing the manner or degree of an action.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal