Lesson 16: Potential complement (2): 动, 好, 住 and comparison with the complement of state

The three potential complements 动, 好, 住 and how to tell a potential complement from a complement of state.

Hanyu textbook · Hanyu 4 · Lesson 16

山这么高，你爬得上去吗？

Shān zhème gāo, nǐ pá de shàngqù ma?

The mountain is this high; can you climb up it?

Explanation

The verb “动” as a potential complement expresses whether an action can make a person or thing change position. The adjective “好” as a potential complement expresses whether an action can reach a satisfactory state that pleases others. The verb “住” as a potential complement expresses whether an action can fix or hold something in a certain position.

Potential complement vs. complement of state: (1) The potential complement expresses whether there is the possibility of achieving a result, while the complement of state expresses a result that has already been achieved (evaluating or praising an existing result). The stress in the former falls on the verb; the stress in the latter falls on the complement of state. (2) The negative forms differ: 演不好 / 演得不好. (3) The yes-no question forms differ: 演得好演不好？/ 演得好不好？ (4) A potential complement can take an object, but a complement of state cannot: you cannot say *他演得不好这个节目。

Textbook notes: “没问题” means there is no difficulty and it can be done; it is used to give encouragement, reassurance, or agreement. “加油” means to make more of an effort.

Structure

1
Vverb得 / 不动
Whether an action can make a person or thing change position.
- A：你一个人搬得动吗？B：这张桌子不重，我搬得动。
  A: Nǐ yí ge rén bān de dòng ma? B: Zhè zhāng zhuōzi bú zhòng, wǒ bān de dòng.
  A: Can you carry it by yourself? B: This table isn't heavy; I can carry it.
- 已经爬了半个小时了，我有点儿爬不动了。
  Yǐjīng pále bàn ge xiǎoshí le, wǒ yǒudiǎnr pá bu dòng le.
  I've been climbing for half an hour and I can't go any farther.
2
Vverb得 / 不好
Whether an action can reach a satisfactory state that pleases others.
- 我担心这个节目演不好。
  Wǒ dānxīn zhège jiémù yǎn bu hǎo.
  I'm worried I won't perform this number well.
- 要相信自己学得好。
  Yào xiāngxìn zìjǐ xué de hǎo.
  You have to believe you can learn it well.
3
Vverb得 / 不住
Whether an action can fix or hold something in place.
- A：你一天记得住二十个生词吗？B：我想记得住。
  A: Nǐ yì tiān jì de zhù èrshí ge shēngcí ma? B: Wǒ xiǎng jì de zhù.
  A: Can you remember twenty new words a day? B: I think so.
- 他的车停不住了。
  Tā de chē tíng bu zhù le.
  His car can't stop anymore.
4
Khả năng: 演不好 / 演得好演不好？ — Trạng thái: 演得不好 / 演得好不好？
The negative and the yes-no question forms of the two kinds of complement differ.
- 这个节目她担心演不好。
  Zhège jiémù tā dānxīn yǎn bu hǎo.
  She's worried she won't perform this number well. (potential)
- 这个节目她演得不好。
  Zhège jiémù tā yǎn de bù hǎo.
  She didn't perform this number well. (state)
- 这个节目她演得好演不好？
  Zhège jiémù tā yǎn de hǎo yǎn bu hǎo?
  Can she perform this number well or not? (potential)
- 这个节目她演得好不好？
  Zhège jiémù tā yǎn de hǎo bu hǎo?
  Did she perform this number well? (state)

Usage notes

A potential complement can take an object (我演不好这个节目); a complement of state cannot be followed by an object (you cannot say *他演得不好这个节目).
In a potential-complement sentence the stress falls on the verb (他'演得好这个节目 — has the ability but no result yet); in a complement-of-state sentence it falls on the complement (这个节目他演得'好 — evaluating or praising an existing result).
Spoken: 没问题 = no problem, it can be done (used to encourage or agree); 加油 = make more of an effort. Textbook examples: A：一个小时做得完吗？B：没问题。/ A：老师，我能学好汉语吗？B：没问题，你一定能学好。/ A：你能帮我办件事吗？B：没问题。
Proverb from the lesson: 世上无难事，只怕有心人 — as long as you work hard toward your goal and dare to think and act, you will surely overcome difficulties and succeed.

Practice

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