来得及 / 来不及: In Time or Too Late in Chinese
来得及 / 来不及
来得及 says there is enough time to arrive or complete an action; 来不及 says the available time is insufficient. 得 and 不 occupy the potential-complement slot and cannot be moved or combined with 了 inside the word. A following action states what can or cannot be completed in time.
Published July 23, 2026
Reviewed July 23, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
来得及 / 来不及 + (Verb phrase)
Read the structure
来得及 says there is enough time to arrive or complete an action; 来不及 says the available time is insufficient. 得 and 不 occupy the potential-complement slot and cannot be moved or combined with 了 inside the word. A following action states what can or cannot be completed in time. Keep the model 来得及 / 来不及 + (Verb phrase) visible while you compare each sentence.
还有十分钟，我们来得及。
We still have ten minutes, so we can make it.
Choose the right context
Judge whether someone can arrive before a deadline. Say an action can still be completed in time. Warn that delay will make an action too late.
快走，不然来不及上课了。
Hurry, or we will be too late for class.
Respect the boundary
Do not reverse the internal order of 得 or 不 and 及. Do not insert 了 between 来 and 得及 or 不及. Do not use the pair for general skill unrelated to time.
我们来了得及。
(We arrived-aspect in time.)
Repair the pattern
了 splits the fixed potential form: 来得及 is a fixed potential expression; 了 cannot be inserted between 来 and 得及. 不 is placed after 及: The negative potential form is 来不及, with 不 before the resultative element 及.
我们来得及。
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.
还有十分钟，我们来得及。
We still have ten minutes, so we can make it.
还有
来得及 / 来不及
This part occupies the 来得及 / 来不及 position in the model pattern.
十分钟
(Verb phrase)
This part occupies the (Verb phrase) position in the model pattern.
，
来得及 / 来不及
This part occupies the 来得及 / 来不及 position in the model pattern.
我们
(Verb phrase)
This part occupies the (Verb phrase) position in the model pattern.
来得及
来得及 / 来不及
This part occupies the 来得及 / 来不及 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.
还有十分钟，我们来得及。
We still have ten minutes, so we can make it.
快走，不然来不及上课了。
Hurry, or we will be too late for class.
现在报名还来得及。
There is still time to register now.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- Judge whether someone can arrive before a deadline.
- Say an action can still be completed in time.
- Warn that delay will make an action too late.
Do not use it when
- Do not reverse the internal order of 得 or 不 and 及.
- Do not insert 了 between 来 and 得及 or 不及.
- Do not use the pair for general skill unrelated to time.
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.
我们来了得及。
我们来得及。
了 splits the fixed potential form
来得及 is a fixed potential expression; 了 cannot be inserted between 来 and 得及.
快走，不然来及不了。
快走，不然来不及了。
不 is placed after 及
The negative potential form is 来不及, with 不 before the resultative element 及.
我们来了得及。
来得及 is a fixed potential expression; 了 cannot be inserted between 来 and 得及.
快走，不然来及不了。
The negative potential form is 来不及, with 不 before the resultative element 及.
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 来得及 / 来不及.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 来得及 / 来不及. 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
来得及 / 来不及: In Time or Too Late Questions
Can an action follow 来不及?
Yes. 来不及 + verb phrase says there is insufficient time to do that action.
Is 来得及 only about physically arriving?
No. It also means having enough time to finish an action, such as 报名 or 准备.
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.
Chinese 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: GF0025-2021 Appendix A, Level 4 item 【四26】, 固定短语：来得及、来不及 (printed p. 208)
Supports placement in HSK 4; it does not independently establish the usage explanation.
Official sourceModern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed.
Ross, Ma, Chen, He and Yeh · Routledge · 2024
Locator: Chapter 18, §18.7; Chapter 32, §32.5, special potential suffix -得及/-不及
Defines 来得及 and 来不及 as fixed potential forms expressing whether an action can happen in time.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Compare
动词＋得/不得Potential Complement with 得 or 不得
Compare this lesson with verb plus 得 or 不得 marking possibility or permission; both belong to potential, attainable, and extreme results, but they organize a different sentence role or discourse job.
Compare
形容词＋得不得了得不得了 for an Extreme Degree
Compare this lesson with 得不得了 presenting an extreme degree; both belong to potential, attainable, and extreme results, but they organize a different sentence role or discourse job.
Compare
动词/形容词＋透了透了 for an Extreme State
Compare this lesson with 透了 presenting a result or state at an extreme; both belong to potential, attainable, and extreme results, but they organize a different sentence role or discourse job.
Continue learning
完/到/见Result Complements (完/到/见)
Continue with the reviewed follow-up lesson to apply this pattern inside a broader, explicitly connected grammar construction.
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