Advanced Manner Complements
Complex manner complements with 得 describing degree, result, or extent of actions
Pattern
Subject + Verb + 得 + Complement Clause
Explanation
Advanced manner complements with 得 go beyond simple adjective descriptions. They can include full clauses describing the extent or result of an action, such as consequences, reactions, or vivid descriptions of the manner.
When the verb has an object, the verb must be repeated before 得: 他说中文说得很流利. Alternatively, the object can be fronted as a topic. The complement after 得 can be quite long and descriptive, forming a complete clause.
Examples
他高兴得跳了起来。
Tā gāoxìng de tiào le qǐlái.
He was so happy that he jumped up.
她忙得连饭都没时间吃。
Tā máng de lián fàn dōu méi shíjiān chī.
She was so busy that she did not even have time to eat.
他中文说得让人以为他是中国人。
Tā Zhōngwén shuō de ràng rén yǐwéi tā shì Zhōngguó rén.
He speaks Chinese so well that people think he is Chinese.
Common Mistakes
他说中文得很流利。
他说中文说得很流利。
When the verb has an object, you must repeat the verb before 得. You cannot place 得 directly after the object.
她忙得很没时间吃饭。
她忙得连饭都没时间吃。
When using a clausal complement after 得, do not insert degree adverbs like 很. The clause itself describes the degree.
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