HSK 2
The 得 (de) Complement in Chinese
得 links an action to how it's performed: verb + 得 + description. 他说得很好 means "he speaks well". The complement is usually 很 + adjective, and that 很 stays. When the verb has an object, the verb repeats: 他说中文说得很好.
STRUCTURE
Verb + 得 + Adjective/Adverb (说得很好)
When to use 得 — and when not
Use it when
- Describing how well an action is done: 他跑得很快。
- With 很 / 太 + adjective as the complement: 你写得太好了。
- Repeating the verb when there's an object: 她说中文说得很好。
Don't use it when
- Dropping 得 between the verb and the description: 他跑很快 needs 跑得很快 to describe the action.
- Confusing it with 的 (before nouns) or 地 (before verbs) — 得 comes after the verb.
- Attaching 得 across an object: 他说中文得很好 is wrong — repeat the verb or front the object.
Right vs. wrong
他跑很快。
他跑得很快。
得 dropped between verb and complement
To describe how an action is performed, the verb needs 得 before the complement: 跑得很快. Without 得, the verb and the description aren't linked.
他说中文得很好。
他说中文说得很好。
Object placed without repeating the verb
得 must attach directly to the verb, but an object (中文) sits between them. Repeat the verb — 说中文说得很好 — or front the object: 他中文说得很好.
Examples
他跑得很快。
Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.
He runs fast.
你写得太好了。
Nǐ xiě de tài hǎo le.
You write so well.
她说中文说得很好。
Tā shuō Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo.
She speaks Chinese very well.
我睡得很晚。
Wǒ shuì de hěn wǎn.
I sleep late.
他做得不好。
Tā zuò de bù hǎo.
He doesn't do it well.
Common mistakes
他跑很快。
Tā pǎo hěn kuài.
Describing the action needs 得: 他跑得很快。
他说中文得很好。
Tā shuō Zhōngwén de hěn hǎo.
Repeat the verb with an object: 他说中文说得很好。
你写的太好了。
Nǐ xiě de tài hǎo le.
After a verb use 得, not 的: 你写得太好了。
Think you've got it?
Write your own 得 sentence and check that grammar point first.
The 得 (de) Complement FAQ
What does 得 do after a verb?
It links the verb to a complement describing how the action is done: 跑得很快 (run fast), 说得很好 (speak well). The complement is usually 很 + adjective.
Why does the verb repeat in 他说中文说得很好?
得 must attach directly to the verb, but an object (中文) sits between them. So you repeat the verb: 说中文 + 说得很好. Or front the object: 他中文说得很好.
What is the difference between 得, 的, and 地?
All are "de" in speech. 的 comes before a noun (我的书), 地 before a verb (慢慢地走), and 得 after a verb for a complement (走得很慢).