Part 2: Differences Among 的 (de), 得 (de) and 地 (de)?

Updated on December 27, 2022

We have been learning the differences among 的 (de), 得 (de) and 地 (de). You can find more about 的 (de) in Part 1, and 得 (de) in Part 3.

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Welcome to the Part 2 of differentiating 的 (de), 得 (de) and 地 (de). In this blog-post, we will discover 得; one of the most frequently used Chinese characters.

Here we go!

Well, 得 is normally used to modify a Verb and is placed after a verb.

Part I (Verb + 得 +adj)

得 can be used to ask or tell how well someone does something, which means to give comments/compliments/praise/criticism on someone doing something. For instance.

1. How well do your students speak Chinese? (Nǐ xuéshēng de yīngyǔ shuō de zěnmeyàng, 你学生的英语说得怎么样)
2. My students speaks English very well (Wǒ xuéshēng de yīngyǔ shuō de hěnhǎo, 我学生的英语说得很好)
3. How well do you run? (Nǐ pǎo bù pǎo de zěn me yang, 你跑步跑得怎么样)
4. I run very slowly (Wǒ pǎo bù pǎo de hěn màn, 我跑步跑得很慢)

Part Ⅱ (Verb + 得 + Potential complement)

得 can also be used to indicate something can happen and whether it is possible to do or not.

1. Can you understand English? (nǐ tīng de dǒng yīngyǔ ma, 你听得懂英语吗)
2. I can understand (wǒ tīng de dǒng, 我听得懂)

Negative sentences

In the corresponding negative sentences, we often use 不 instead of 得.

1. I cannot understand by hearing (Wǒ tīng bù dǒng, 我听不懂)
2. Can you eat all 10 steamed stuffed bun? (Nǐ chī de wán shí gè bāo zi ma, 你吃得完 十个包子吗)
3. No, I cannot finish eating. (Chī bù wán, 吃不完)

• Lesson 1 (Level 1): Common Mandarin Chinese Verbs with Examples
• How to Say “Police Station” In Chinese?

Pro tips

If you would like to ask someone if he or she could possibly do something or finish a thing, you can use this structure, and “potential complement” always act as a result of the verb:

1. kàn+wán→kàn de wán/kàn bù wán.

            看+完→看得完/看不完.

   Example: I can read 10 books in a month (Wǒ yī gè yuè kàn de wán 10 běn shū, 我一个月看得完10本书)

2. zuò + wán + zuò yè→zuò de wán zuò yè/zuò bù wán zuò yè.

    做+完+作业→做得完作业/做不完作业.

    Example: It’s too much homework, I cannot finish (Zuò yè tài duō le, wǒ zuò bù wán, 作业太多了, 我做不完)

Part Ⅲ (Adj./Verb + 得 + complement)

“Adj./Verb + 得 + complement” clause is used to indicate a certain state and always followed by a verb phrase. For example:

• I’m tired (Wǒ hěn lèi, 我很累)

We can use 得 to form a complement after 累 to indicate a certain state, for example:

1. I’m too tired to talk. (Lèi de bù xiǎng shuō huà, 累得不想说话)
2. My tooth hurts. (Wǒ yá téng, 我牙疼)
3. My teeth hurt too much to eat anything. (Wǒ yá téng de bù xiǎng chī fàn, 我牙疼得 不想吃饭)

That’s all for now. Feel free to browse through 的 (de) in Part 1, and 得 (de) in Part 3. 🙂

Any questions about 得? Let me know in the comments!

Cheers!