The Degree Complement (1) – 程度补语 (1)

The Degree Complement (1) – 程度补语（1）

The Degree Complement (程度补语) is used to intensify or modify the degree or the state of the predicate.

The adjective or mental verb often follows the adverb about the degree, such as 很, 极了, or 死了, which indicates an extremely high degree.

Adjective / Mental verb + 得很/极了/死了

e.g.

你的衣服好看极了。(Nǐ de yīfu hǎokàn jíle.) Your clothes are so beautiful.

他又没写中文作业，老师气死了。(Tā yòu méi xiě zhōngwén zuòyè, lǎoshī qì sǐle.) He didn’t write Chinese homework again, and the teacher was extremely furious.

Note that when using 很, there must be 得 before it.

e.g.

作业那么多，我烦得很。(Zuòyè nàme duō, wǒ fán de hěn.) With so many homework, I’m very annoyed.

× 作业那么多，我烦很。

With the degree complement, the degree adverbs, such as 很，非常, and 有点儿， cannot be used before the adjective or mental verb.

e.g.

× 他的话非常奇怪极了。(Tā de huà fēicháng qíguài jíle.)

他的话奇怪极了。(Tā de huà qíguài jíle.) His words were strange.

 

× 孩子今天有点儿想家得很。(Háizi jīntiān yǒudiǎnr xiǎng jiā de hěn.)

孩子今天想家得很。(Háizi jīntiān xiǎng jiā de hěn.)  The child is very homesick today.

“死” can be used as a result complement. So, please pay attention that the verb should be a mental verb when used as a degree complement. And it’s used to exaggerate the degree. There is no real death involved. Regarding the real use, you should also judge based on the context.

e.g.

那个小偷被打死了。(Nàgè xiǎotōu bèi dǎ sǐle.)  The thief was beaten to death.

>> The complement of the result

 

这次比赛又输了，我难过死了。(Zhè cì bǐsài yòu shūle, wǒ nánguò sǐle.) I lost this competition again, and I was so sad.

>> The degree complement

 

这个人一个星期没吃饭，饿死了。(Zhège rén yīgè xīngqī méi chīfàn, è sǐle.) The man hadn’t eaten for a week and starved to death.

>> The complement of the result

 

已经晚上八点了还没吃饭，饿死了，快下班吧！(Yǐjīng wǎnshàng bā diǎn le hái méi chīfàn,è sǐle, kuài xiàbān ba!) It’s already eight o’clock in the evening and I haven’t eaten yet. I’m extremely starving. Let’s get off work soon!

>> The degree complement