The State Complement (2) – 状态补语 (2)

The State Complement (2) – 状态补语（2）

Regarding the state complement, in addition to the adjective phrase, there are also other phrases that can be the state complement.

Verb / Adjective + 得 + Verb phrase

It is used to indicate something occurs to the doer of the action. The subject that performs the action is the same one that experiences something.

e.g.

孩子们又打架了，妈妈气得说不出话来。(Háizimen yòu dǎjiàle, māma qì de shuō bu chū huà lái.) The children were fighting again, and the mother was so angry that she couldn’t speak.

>> 妈妈气 -> 说不出话来

 

这个电影明星美得令人无法呼吸。(Zhège diànyǐng míngxīng měi de lìng rén wúfǎ hūxī.) The movie star is breathlessly beautiful.

>> 电影明星美 -> 令人无法呼吸

 

听说可以去旅行，同学们高兴得跳了起来。(Tīng shuō kěyǐ qù lǚxíng, tóngxuémen gāoxìng de tiàole qǐlái.) Hearing that they can go on a trip, the students jumped for joy.

>> 同学们高兴 -> 跳起来

Verb / Adjective + 得 + Subject-predicate phrase

It’s used to express the first subject performs an action and causes the second subject to experience something. The performer of the action is not the one that experiences something.

e.g.

这个夏天热得人头痛。(Zhège xiàtiān rè de rén tóutòng.) The heat this summer makes people headaches.

>> 夏天热；人头痛

 

他的礼物感动得我流泪。(Tā de lǐwù gǎndòng de wǒ liúlèi.) His gift moved me to tears.

>> 他的礼物感动我；我流泪

 

那部电影吓得人尖叫。(Nà bù diànyǐng xià de rén jiān jiào.) That movie made people scream with fright.

>> 那部电影吓人；人尖叫

Verb / Adjective + 得 + fixed phrase

The fixed pattern is like “A来A去” “又A又B” “A前A后”, etc.

e.g.

听说妻子进医院了，他在另一个城市急得走来走去。(Tīng shuō qīzi jìn yīyuànle, tā zài lìng yīgè chéngshì jí de zǒu lái zǒu qù.) Hearing that his wife was in the hospital, he was walking around in another city anxiously.

孩子顺利出生了，大家都激动得又哭又笑。(Háizi shùnlì chūshēngle, dàjiā dōu jīdòng de yòu kū yòu xiào.) The baby was born smoothly, and everyone was crying and laughing with excitement.

新手妈妈一会儿想吃这个，一会儿想吃那个，家人们都高兴得跑前跑后帮她准备。(Xīnshǒu māma yīhuǐr xiǎng chī zhège, yīhuǐr xiǎng chī nàgè, jiārén men dōu gāoxìng de pǎo qián pǎo hòu bāng tā zhǔnbèi.) The novice mother wanted to eat this for a while, and the other for a while, and the family members were so happy to help her prepare.

Verb + Object + Verb + 得 + Phrase

In addition to adjective phrases, the complement here can be a verb phrase, subject-predicate phrase, fixed pattern phrase, etc.

e.g.

我们看电视看得忘记了时间。(Wǒmen kàn diànshì kàn de wàngjìle shíjiān.) We have forgotten the time when we watched TV.

他讲故事讲得我睡着了。(Tā jiǎng gùshì jiǎng de wǒ shuìzháole.) He told the story and I fell asleep.

孩子们玩游戏玩得又哭又笑。(Háizimen wán yóuxì wán de yòu kū yòu xiào.) The children cried and laughed while playing games.