What are result complements?
A result complement comes after a verb and tells what result the action produces. It can show that an action is finished, done successfully, done incorrectly, removed, opened, held in place, or reaches a target.
| Basic structure | Function |
|---|---|
| Verb + Result Complement | shows the result of the action |
In English, you may need several words to express the result. In Chinese, the result is often placed directly after the verb.
1. Verb + 好: done well or completed
好 ♬ after a verb often means the action is completed properly or reaches a good usable state.
| Pattern | Basic meaning |
|---|---|
| Verb + 好 | finish doing something properly |
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 資料整理好了。 ♬ | The materials have been organized properly. |
| 設備修好了。 ♬ | The equipment has been fixed. |
整理好 means the organizing has reached a completed state. 修好 means the repair was successful.
2. Verb + 完: finish the action
完 ♬ focuses on completion. It means the action is finished.
| Pattern | Basic meaning |
|---|---|
| Verb + 完 | finish doing the action |
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 我看完了報告。 ♬ | I finished reading the report. |
| 他填完了表格。 ♬ | He finished filling out the form. |
完 does not always mean the result is good. It mainly says the action is complete.
3. Verb + 到: reach or successfully get
到 ♬ can show that the action reaches a target, obtains something, or succeeds in contact.
| Pattern | Basic meaning |
|---|---|
| Verb + 到 | reach, get, find, receive, or succeed in doing |
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 我找到入口了。 ♬ | I found the entrance. |
| 你收到確認信了嗎？ ♬ | Did you receive the confirmation email? |
找 only means “to look for.” 找到 means the search reached the result: you found it.
4. Verb + 錯: do something incorrectly
錯 ♬ after a verb means the action was done incorrectly or the wrong target was chosen.
| Pattern | Basic meaning |
|---|---|
| Verb + 錯 | do something wrong / incorrectly |
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 我填錯日期了。 ♬ | I filled in the wrong date. |
| 他傳錯檔案了。 ♬ | He sent the wrong file. |
錯 shows the result is incorrect. It is useful for mistakes in forms, messages, files, addresses, and choices.
5. Verb + 掉: remove or lose
掉 ♬ often shows that something is removed, lost, deleted, or separated as a result of the action.
| Pattern | Basic meaning |
|---|---|
| Verb + 掉 | remove, lose, delete, or get rid of something |
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 舊檔案刪掉了。 ♬ | The old file was deleted. |
| 他把收據弄掉了。 ♬ | He lost the receipt. |
刪掉 means something is deleted. 弄掉 often means something was lost or made to fall off accidentally.
6. Verb + 住 and Verb + 開
住 ♬ often shows holding, stopping, or keeping something in place. 開 ♬ often shows opening, separating, or moving apart.
| Complement | Basic result |
|---|---|
| 住 ♬ | hold, stop, keep in place |
| 開 ♬ | open, separate, move apart |
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 請按住按鈕三秒。 ♬ | Please hold down the button for three seconds. |
| 請打開附件。 ♬ | Please open the attachment. |
These complements are very common, but their meanings depend on the verb they follow. Later articles will explain them in more detail.
7. Result complements and 了
Result complements often appear with 了 ♬ when the result has already happened. The complement shows the result, and 了 often marks the completed event or new situation.
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 我寫完了摘要。 ♬ | I finished writing the summary. |
| 密碼改好了。 ♬ | The password has been changed successfully. |
Do not think of 了 as the result itself. The result is shown by words like 完, 好, 到, or 錯.
8. Why result complements matter
Many Chinese verbs do not automatically say whether the action succeeded. The result complement gives that missing information.
| Action only | Action + result | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 我找入口。 ♬ | 我找到入口了。 ♬ | looking vs. found |
| 我寫摘要。 ♬ | 我寫完了摘要。 ♬ | writing vs. finished writing |
This is why result complements are essential for precise Chinese sentences.
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