Basic Result Complements in Chinese
结果补语：错、懂、干净、好、会、清楚、完
A result complement follows a verb and states the outcome produced by that action. Common elementary combinations include 写错, 听懂, 洗干净, 做好, 学会, 看清楚, and 吃完. The verb and result stay adjacent as one predicate; aspect markers and objects follow the complete combination when required.
Published August 7, 2026
Reviewed August 7, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Verb + 错/懂/干净/好/会/清楚/完 (+ Object)
Read the structure
A result complement follows a verb and states the outcome produced by that action. Common elementary combinations include 写错, 听懂, 洗干净, 做好, 学会, 看清楚, and 吃完. The verb and result stay adjacent as one predicate; aspect markers and objects follow the complete combination when required. Keep the model Verb + 错/懂/干净/好/会/清楚/完 (+ Object) visible while you compare each sentence.
我听懂老师的话了。
I understood what the teacher said.
Choose the right context
State whether an action ends correctly, completely, or clearly. Describe learning or understanding as the achieved result of an action. Present cleanliness, readiness, or completion after the relevant verb.
她学会游泳了。
She learned how to swim.
Respect the boundary
Do not reverse the action and its result. Do not insert 了 between the verb and result complement. Do not choose a result that the verb cannot naturally produce.
我懂听老师的话了。
(I understood-listened to the teacher's words.)
Repair the pattern
The result precedes the action: The action 听 precedes the achieved result 懂 in the result predicate 听懂. 了 splits the verb-result unit: 完 follows 吃 directly; sentence-final 了 occurs after the completed predicate and object here.
我听懂老师的话了。
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.
我听懂老师的话了。
I understood what the teacher said.
我
Verb
This part occupies the Verb position in the model pattern.
听
错/懂/干净/好/会/清楚/完 (
This part occupies the 错/懂/干净/好/会/清楚/完 ( position in the model pattern.
懂
Object)
This part occupies the Object) position in the model pattern.
老师
Verb
This part occupies the Verb position in the model pattern.
的话
错/懂/干净/好/会/清楚/完 (
This part occupies the 错/懂/干净/好/会/清楚/完 ( position in the model pattern.
了
Object)
This part occupies the Object) 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.
我听懂老师的话了。
I understood what the teacher said.
她学会游泳了。
She learned how to swim.
他吃完晚饭了。
He finished dinner.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- State whether an action ends correctly, completely, or clearly.
- Describe learning or understanding as the achieved result of an action.
- Present cleanliness, readiness, or completion after the relevant verb.
Do not use it when
- Do not reverse the action and its result.
- Do not insert 了 between the verb and result complement.
- Do not choose a result that the verb cannot naturally produce.
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.
我懂听老师的话了。
我听懂老师的话了。
The result precedes the action
The action 听 precedes the achieved result 懂 in the result predicate 听懂.
他吃了完晚饭。
他吃完晚饭了。
了 splits the verb-result unit
完 follows 吃 directly; sentence-final 了 occurs after the completed predicate and object here.
我懂听老师的话了。
The action 听 precedes the achieved result 懂 in the result predicate 听懂.
他吃了完晚饭。
完 follows 吃 directly; sentence-final 了 occurs after the completed predicate and object here.
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 结果补语：错、懂、干净、好、会、清楚、完.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 结果补语：错、懂、干净、好、会、清楚、完. 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
Basic Result Complements Questions
Does a result complement indicate tense?
No. It describes an achieved outcome. Aspect or time expressions locate the event in discourse.
Can every verb combine with every result complement?
No. The result must be semantically compatible with the action, and many combinations are conventional lexical pairings.
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: Appendix A, Level 2 item 【二49】, PDF p. 192 (printed p. 186)
Places the listed elementary verb-result combinations at Level 2 and gives examples for error, understanding, cleanliness, readiness, learning, clarity, and completion.
Official source现代汉语语法课程讲义
包头师范学院 · 包头师范学院 · 2024
Locator: Complements, slide 38
Defines result complements by the causal relation between the action and the resulting state.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Continue learning
完/到/见Result Complements (完/到/见)
Connect the general result-complement model with this expanded elementary inventory.
Easy to confuse
打开/看见/离开/完成Result Verbs and Achieved Endpoints
Distinguish verb-result compounds from verb-object words that permit internal grammatical material.
Compare
得The 得 (de) Complement
A direct result complement states an outcome, while 得 introduces a following state description.
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上 / 出 / 起 / 下（结果义）Directional Complements with Result Meanings
Extend ordinary results to directional forms that developed conventional achieved-result readings.
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