What are degree complements?
A degree complement describes how well, how badly, how much, or to what degree an action or state happens. It often uses 得 ♬ after a verb or adjective.
| Basic structure | Function |
|---|---|
| Verb / Adjective + 得 + Degree phrase | shows how well, how much, or to what degree |
This 得 is different from the 得 in potential complements such as 看得懂. Here, 得 introduces a description of degree or quality.
1. Verb + 得 + adjective
Use Verb + 得 + adjective to describe how an action is done.
| Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Verb + 得 + Adjective | do something in an adjective way |
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 他說得很清楚。 ♬ | He explains it very clearly. |
| 她寫得很仔細。 ♬ | She writes very carefully. |
The complement after 得 describes the quality of the action.
2. Verb + object + verb + 得...
If the verb has an object, Chinese often repeats the verb before 得. This keeps the object and the degree complement clear.
| Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Verb + Object + Verb + 得 + Degree phrase | do the object action to a certain degree |
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 他講故事講得很生動。 ♬ | He tells stories very vividly. |
| 她做簡報做得很有條理。 ♬ | She gives presentations in a very organized way. |
This repeated-verb structure is very common when you want to comment on how someone performs an action.
3. Adjective + 得 + degree phrase
Degree complements can also follow adjectives. This shows the degree of a state, often with a strong result or reaction.
| Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Adjective + 得 + Degree phrase | so adjective that... |
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 會議室冷得讓人受不了。 ♬ | The meeting room is so cold that people cannot stand it. |
| 這段路窄得只能一個人通過。 ♬ | This section of road is so narrow that only one person can pass through. |
Here, the phrase after 得 shows the result or extent of the adjective.
4. 得 + 很 / 不錯 / 一般
After 得, the degree phrase can be short. It may be a simple adjective, a degree word phrase, or an evaluation.
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 他表現得很好。 ♬ | He performed very well. |
| 這次活動辦得不錯。 ♬ | This event was organized pretty well. |
| 翻譯得一般。 ♬ | The translation was average. |
The degree complement often gives an evaluation of the action.
5. Negative form: Verb + 得 + 不...
For degree complements, the negative usually appears after 得, not before the verb.
| Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Verb + 得 + 不 + Adjective | do something not adjective enough / not well |
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 他說得不清楚。 ♬ | He does not explain it clearly. |
| 這份摘要寫得不完整。 ♬ | This summary is not written completely. |
Compare this with 他不說清楚, which focuses more on whether he says it clearly or not. 說得不清楚 evaluates how he says it.
6. Questions with degree complements
To ask how well or how something is done, you can use Verb + 得 + 怎麼樣, or ask a more specific question with an adjective.
| Question | English |
|---|---|
| 他表現得怎麼樣？ ♬ | How did he perform? |
| 這份報告寫得清楚嗎？ ♬ | Is this report written clearly? |
These questions ask for an evaluation, not just whether the action happened.
7. Degree complements vs. potential complements
Both patterns can use 得, but their meanings are different. A potential complement asks whether a result can be reached. A degree complement describes how well or to what degree something happens.
| Type | Chinese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Potential complement | 這份報告看得懂。 ♬ | This report can be understood. |
| Degree complement | 他說得很清楚。 ♬ | He explains it very clearly. |
In 看得懂, 得 is inside the verb-result structure. In 說得很清楚, 得 introduces an evaluation of the action.
8. Common mistakes
Do not confuse 得 with 地 or put the object in the wrong position. For degree complements, 得 comes after the verb or adjective.
| Not natural | Natural Chinese |
|---|---|
| 他很清楚地說。 | 他說得很清楚。 ♬ |
| 她寫簡報得很仔細。 | 她寫簡報寫得很仔細。 ♬ |
| 會議室得冷讓人受不了。 | 會議室冷得讓人受不了。 ♬ |
The first “not natural” sentence is grammatical in another structure, but it does not have the same focus. It describes the manner before the action, while 說得很清楚 evaluates the result or quality of the speaking.
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