The 得 (de) Complement in Chinese
得
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.
Published July 8, 2026
Reviewed July 8, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Verb + 得 + Adjective/Adverb (说得很好)
Read the structure
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. Keep the model Verb + 得 + Adjective/Adverb (说得很好) visible while you compare each sentence.
他跑得很快。
He runs fast.
Choose the right context
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。
你写得太好了。
You write so well.
Respect the boundary
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.
他跑很快。
(He runs fast.)
Repair the pattern
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. 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.
他跑得很快。
Use the repaired structure without changing the intended meaning.
02 / MAP
Read the Sentence
Read from left to right and notice the job performed by each part. The labels describe this example; they are not a rule that every Chinese sentence must copy.
他跑得很快。
He runs fast.
他
Verb
This part occupies the Verb position in the model pattern.
跑得
得
This part occupies the 得 position in the model pattern.
很快
Adjective/Adverb (说得很好)
This part occupies the Adjective/Adverb (说得很好) position in the model pattern.
03 / EXAMPLES
Examples You Can Reuse
Keep the structure stable while changing the people, objects, times, or conditions. Pinyin is shown as reading support; use the Chinese sentence and translation to confirm the grammar relationship.
他跑得很快。
He runs fast.
你写得太好了。
You write so well.
她说中文说得很好。
She speaks Chinese very well.
我睡得很晚。
I sleep late.
他做得不好。
He doesn't do it well.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
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。
Do not 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.
05 / REPAIR
Compare Right and Wrong
Compare the smallest meaningful change. Each explanation identifies a placement, scope, form, or clause relationship instead of treating the whole sentence as one undifferentiated mistake.
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.
他跑很快。
Describing the action needs 得: 他跑得很快。
他说中文得很好。
Repeat the verb with an object: 他说中文说得很好。
你写的太好了。
After a verb use 得, not 的: 你写得太好了。
06 / PRACTICE
Practice the Grammar Point
Complete three short tasks in order: judge the pattern, repair a common error, and build the sentence. Feedback is fixed and reviewed, so these activities do not use a checker allowance.
1. Judge the sentence
2. Choose the correction
3. Build the sentence
Build a complete sentence with 得.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 得. Your draft moves to the checker through this browser session, selects this grammar point as the first review focus, and waits for you to submit.
08 / QUESTIONS
The 得 (de) Complement Questions
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).
09 / SOURCES
Sources and Review Notes
These references support different parts of the lesson. GF0025-2021 supports level placement only; professional grammar works support the explanation, limits, examples, and cross-checks. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed.
Ross, Ma, Chen, He and Yeh · Routledge · 2024
Locator: Construction index and function chapters relevant to 得
Supports the learner-facing account of where 得 appears and what communicative job it performs.
Official sourceChinese: A Comprehensive Grammar, 2nd ed.
Yip and Rimmington · Routledge · 2016
Locator: Relevant sentence and clause chapters for 得
Cross-checks the Verb + 得 + Adjective/Adverb (说得很好) pattern, clause relationship, and limits represented by the reviewed examples.
Official sourceChinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021)
Ministry of Education and State Language Commission · Ministry of Education of the PRC · 2021
Locator: Appendix A, Level 2 grammar inventory
Supports directory placement at HSK 2; it does not independently prove usage rules.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Easy to confuse
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Compare the general 得 complement with the focused state-complement inventory.
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个不停/个没完Continuous State Complement with 个
Contrast a degree or state complement with the continuous 个不停 ending.
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有点儿/一点儿有点儿 vs 一点儿: A Little
Compare a 得 complement with low-degree evaluation through 有点儿 or 一点儿.
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比较句4：动词得字句比 Comparisons with Verb 得
Apply the 得 complement inside the official verb-degree 比 comparison.
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Compare a 得 complement with low-degree evaluation through 有点儿 or 一点儿.