Chinese Resultative Verb Compounds

A complementary resultative specifies the result or outcome produced by a phrase’s verb. As a verbal complement, the result is made up of characters that are firmly bound to the right of the verb of the main clause, specifying the outcome.

Eventual particles or direct objects are positioned to the right of the complementary resultive. Any character could serve the function of the result so long as the construction (verb + complement) makes sense.

Some verbs, however, if used as results, acquire a different meaning.

到

到 (dào), means “to arrive, to reach to”, and as a result indicates the realization of the action.

Here are a few examples:

你找什么？
Nǐ zhǎo shénme?
What are you looking for?

你找到了我的书吗？
Nǐ zhǎodàole wǒ de shū ma?
Have you found my book?

你可不可以在词典上查他说的汉字？我已经查到了！
Nǐ kěbùkěyǐ zài cídiǎn shàng chá tā shuō de Hànzì? Wǒ yǐjing chádào le!
Could you look in the dictionary for the character he said? I already found it!

Note that 查到(chádào) means “to find”. Here too, 到dào specifies the outcome of the action.

我没听到那首歌。
Wǒ méi tīngdào nà shǒu gē.
I didn’t listen to that song.

我没遇到困难。
Wǒ méi yùc kùnnan.
I didn’t find it to be hard.

到 as a result also indicates the reaching of a certain point or the availability of something.

Here are a few examples:

你往前走，走到红绿灯，往右拐，就到了。
Nǐ wǎng qián zǒu, zǒudào hóng lǜ dēng, wǎng yòu guǎi, jiù dào le.
Keep going straight; once you get to the light, turn right and you’re there.

说到假期的时候，老师说，要学到第二十课。
Shuōdào jiàqī de shíhou, lǎoshī shuō, yào xuédào dì èrshí kè.
Speaking of vacations, the professor said that we have to study up to lesson twenty.

妈妈跑到了商店买一些水果。
Māma pǎo dào le shāngdiàn mǎi yī xiē shuì guǒ.
My mother ran to the store to buy some fruit.

他病了，每天要休息到八个小时。
Tā bìng le, měitiān yào xiūxi dào bā gè xiǎoshí.
He got sick and every day he has to rest for eight hours.

俄罗斯的天气可以冷到零下二十三度。
Éluósī de tiānqì kẹ̌yǐ lěng dào língxià èrshí sāndù.
The temperature in Russia can go down to 23 degrees below zero.

着

着(zhao) signals the achievement of the action or the reaching of a state. This character is almost interchangeable with 到, however it is preferably used in colloquial language.

Here are a few examples:

下班以后，他往往点着一支烟。
Xiàbān yǐhòu, tā wǎngwǎng diǎnzháo yī zhī yān.
Once done working, he often lights a cigarette.

爸爸一点着了一支烟，妈妈就睡着了。
Bàba yī diǎn zhao le yī zhī yān, māma jiù shuìzháo le.
As soon as papa lit a cigarette, mamma fell asleep.

爸，小心别累着！
Bà, xiǎoxīn bié lèizhao!
Papa, be careful so as not to exhaust yourself!

同学们，这本书是从图书馆可以借着的。
Tóngxué men, zhè běn shū shì cóng túshūguǎn kẹ̌yǐ jièzhao de.
Students, you can borrow this book from the university library.

Notice the construction “一yī…就jiù…” (as soon as…, then…).

老师一进教室里，学生就站起来了。
Lǎoshī yī jìn jiàoshì lǐ, xuésheng jiù zhànqǐlai le.
As soon as the professor entered the classroom, the students stood up.

见

见 (jiàn) indicates a sensory perception. This character means “to see” and, as a result, implies having perceived something else.

Here are a few examples:

我们昨天看的电影的字幕太小了，我没有看见。
Wǒmen zuótiān kàn de diànyǐng de zìmù tài xiǎo le, wǒ méiyǒu kànjian.
The subtitles of the film we saw yesterday were too small, I couldn’t see them.

我听见了一些人的声音。两个多人门外在说话。
Wǒ tīngjiàn le yī xiē rén de shēngyīn. Liǎng gè duō rén mén wàizài shuōhuà.
I heard the voices of a few people. More than two people are talking outside the door.

我能闻见饺子的滋味儿。谁在做饭？
Wǒ néng wénjiàn jiǎozi de zīwèir. Sheí zài zuòfàn?
I can smell the scent of ravioli. Who’s cooking?

闻一下吧，闻见味道吗？
Wén yị̄xià ba, wénjiàn wèidao ma?
Sniff for a second, can you tell the flavor?

完

完 (wán) signals the completion of the action or the depletion of the object on which a certain action is being performed.

Here are a few examples:

同学们，写完了？
Tóngxué men, xiěwán le?
Students, have you finished writing?

她喝完了咖啡。我还没吃完饭。
Tā hēwánle kāfēi. Wǒ hái méi chīwán fàn.
She finished drinking her coffee. I haven’t yet finished eating.

我没看完杂志呢。
Wǒ méi kànwán zázhì ne.
I haven’t yet finished reading the magazine.

说完了吗？毛老师，我说完了。
Shuōwán le ma? Máo lǎoshī, wǒ shuōwán le.
Finished? Yes, professor Mao.

我刚刚用完了笔，给你吧！
Wǒ gānggāng yòngwánle bǐ, gěi nǐ ba!
I just finished using the pen, here you go!

电影票都卖完了，糟糕！
Diànyǐngpiào dōu màiwán le, zāogāo!
The movie tickets are sold out, what a bummer! (The resultive 完 in this case indicates that the object that is performing the action has been exhausted)

光

光 (guāng) indicates the exhaustion of the object that undergoes an action.

Here are some examples:

月光族的钱一个月就用光了。
Yuèguāng zú de qián yī gè yuè jiù yòngguāng le.
The big spenders’ money finishes in a month.

咖啡、茶、可口可乐都喝光了。
Kāfēi, chá, Kěkǒukělè dōu hē guāng le.
The coffee, tea and coca cola have all been drunk.

会

会 (huì) indicates the acquisition of a certain ability and/or competence.

Here are some examples:

我去年学会了做中国菜。
Wǒ qùnián xuéhuìle zuò Zhōngguócài.
Last year I learned to cook Chinese food.

你学会了汉语吗？没有！
Nǐ xuéhuìle Hànyǔ ma? Méiyǒu!
Have you learned Chinese? No!

走

走 (zǒu) signals the disappearance or distancing of something on someone’s part.

Here are some examples:

这边吃还是带走？
Zhèbiān chī háishi dàizǒu?
To eat here or to go?

孩子，别拿走那瓶啤酒！
Háizi, bié názǒu nà píng píjiǔ!
Boy, don’t take away that bottle of beer!

好

好 (hǎo) indicates that the action has successfully been completed.

Here are some examples:

你已经翻译好了，恭喜恭喜！
Nǐ yǐjing fānyì hǎole, gōngxǐgōngxǐ!
You already translated it, my complements!

同学们，准备好了吗？
Tóngxué men, zhǔnbèi hǎole ma?
Students, are you ready?

掉

掉 (diào) signals a disappearance or removal.

Here are some examples:

我的朋友已经吃掉了那块蛋糕。
Wǒ de péngyou yǐjing chīdiàole nà kuài dàngāo.
My friend has already taken out that piece of cake.

扔掉垃圾吧！
Rēngdiào lājī ba!
Throw out the garbage, go on!

住

住 (zhù), which means “to live”, “to dwell”, indicates making something steady and immobile.

Here are a few examples:

你能记住怎么回家吗？
Nǐ néng jìzhu zěnme huíjiā ma?
Can you manage to remember how to get home?

我想记住他的名字。
Wǒ xiǎng jìzhu tā de míngzi.
I want to remember his name.

Other verb resultative compounds

Besides those mentioned above, there are lots of other resultatives. As was already said, almost any character can serve as a result so long as what comes out of it is coherent and makes sense. Other resultative compounds, for example, can be:

错 (cuò) “to make a mistake”,饱 (bǎo) “to be full”, 懂 (dǒng) “to understand”, 够 (gòu) “to be enough, sufficient”, 清楚 (qīngchu) “clear”, 干净 (gānjìng) “clean”.

Here are a few examples:

我说错了
wǒ shuōcuò le
I messed up (in speaking)

他吃饱了
tā chībǎo le
he is full

我没听懂
wǒ méi tīngdǒng
I didn’t understand (in listening)

你能看清楚吗？
nǐ néng kàn qīngchu ma?
You see / read clearly?

洗干净吧
xǐ gānjìng ba
Wash well

Review table for verb resultative compounds

The following review table of verb resultative compounds is designed for specialists in the Chinese language:

Photo Credits: Chongqing重庆 by kurbanjan samat