Grammar Review: Descriptive Complement with “得”

得 is a connecting word between the verb/adjective and its complements, which provide information concerning the manner, result, degree or evaluation of the action or state. It tells how well or to what degree the action was done.

…… Action Verb or Adjective + 得 + adjective / clause

Degree complement after an adjective: to what degree the adjective is？

他最近忙得很。 He is really busy recently. It stresses how busy he is.

她最近很忙。

他最近忙得没空吃饭。/ 他最近忙得沒空吃飯。

He is so busy recently that he has no time to eat.

Commonly used degree complements: 很、要命、要死、不得了、不行

Descriptive Complements after an action verb

For verbs without objects: …… V. + 得 + Complements ……

昨天晚上，他睡得很晚。 Last night, he went to sleep very late.

他吃得很多。He eats a lot.

她长得很漂亮。/ 她長得很漂亮。 She grows up to look beautiful.

For verbs with objects:

…… V. O. + V. + 得 + Complement ……

他说汉语说得很好。/ 他說漢語說得很好。He speaks Chinese very well.

…… O. + V. + 得 + Complement ……

她汉语说得很好。/ 她漢語說得很好。She speaks Chinese very well.

Long Object + Subject + Verb + 得 + Complement ……

那个汉字你写得怎么样？/ 那個漢字你寫得怎麽樣？

How well do you write that character?

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