Complements of Possibility Introduced by ‘V得/不’
Usage:
In Mandarin Chinese, complements of possibility are used to indicate whether an action can or cannot be completed successfully. This is done by inserting the potential marker 得 (de) for affirmative possibilities and 不 (bù) for negative possibilities between the verb and the complement.
Format:
- Verb + 得 + Complement (affirmative)
- Verb + 不 + Complement (negative)
Examples:
- 看 (kàn - to see/watch)
- Affirmative: 看得见 (kàn de jiàn) - can see
- Negative: 看不见 (kàn bù jiàn) - cannot see
- 听 (tīng - to hear/listen)
- Affirmative: 听得到 (tīng de dào) - can hear
- Negative: 听不到 (tīng bù dào) - cannot hear
- 做 (zuò - to do/make)
- Affirmative: 做得完 (zuò de wán) - can finish
- Negative: 做不完 (zuò bù wán) - cannot finish
Additional Notes:
- The structure is used to express the possibility or impossibility of performing an action.
- The complement following the potential marker usually describes the result or the extent of the action.
- This construction is frequently used in daily conversations to discuss abilities and limitations.
Example Sentences:
- 你看得见那座山吗？(Nǐ kàn de jiàn nà zuò shān ma?) - Can you see that mountain?
- 我听不到你说的话。(Wǒ tīng bù dào nǐ shuō de huà.) - I can't hear what you are saying.
- 他做得完所有的作业。(Tā zuò de wán suǒyǒu de zuòyè.) - He can finish all the homework.