====== jiéguǒ bǔyǔ: 结果补语 - Resultative Complement ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** resultative complement Chinese, Chinese result complement, jiéguǒ bǔyǔ, Chinese grammar verb result, how to use 完 wan, how to use 好 hao, what is a complement in Chinese, verb complement Chinese, 结果补语 grammar, Chinese action result
  * **Summary:** Learn about the Chinese **resultative complement** (**结果补语**, **jiéguǒ bǔyǔ**), a fundamental grammar point that adds a second verb or adjective after a main verb to show the result of an action. Mastering this structure, such as using `完 (wán)` for 'finished' or `好 (hǎo)` for 'done well', is key to moving beyond basic sentences and describing outcomes clearly. This guide breaks down what a **verb complement** is in Chinese grammar, how to use it, and provides common examples to make your Chinese sound more natural and precise.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** jiéguǒ bǔyǔ
  * **Part of Speech:** Grammar Term / Noun
  * **HSK Level:** Concept introduced around HSK 2-3
  * **Concise Definition:** A grammatical structure where a verb or adjective is placed directly after another verb to indicate the result of the action.
  * **In a Nutshell:** The resultative complement is one of the most powerful tools in Chinese grammar. Instead of saying "I listened, and I understood," you combine the action (listen) and the result (understand) into a single, efficient verb phrase: `听懂 (tīng dǒng)`. Think of it as `Action Verb + Result Word`. This structure is not an optional add-on; it's the standard way to express that an action was successfully completed and produced a specific outcome.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **结 (jié):** To tie, knot, or conclude. It implies bringing something to a conclusion.
  * **果 (guǒ):** Fruit, result, or outcome. This is the "fruit" of an action.
  * **补 (bǔ):** To supplement, patch, or add to. It's "patching" extra information onto the main verb.
  * **语 (yǔ):** Word or language. It refers to this element as a part of speech.
Together, **结果 (jiéguǒ)** means "result" or "outcome." **补语 (bǔyǔ)** is the linguistic term for "complement." Therefore, **结果补语 (jiéguǒ bǔyǔ)** literally translates to "result complement," a perfect description of its grammatical function.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
While a grammar point isn't a cultural value like `面子 (miànzi)`, the prevalence and importance of the resultative complement says a lot about the Chinese language's worldview. The structure reflects a highly pragmatic and result-oriented perspective.
In English, we can say "I looked for my keys," which leaves the outcome ambiguous. Did you find them? We don't know. In Chinese, there's a strong preference for clarity on this point. You would typically specify the result:
  * `我找了钥匙 (wǒ zhǎo le yàoshi)` - I looked for the keys (but the outcome is still a bit vague).
  * `我**找到**了钥匙 (wǒ **zhǎodào** le yàoshi)` - I **found** the keys (Action 'look' + Result 'attain' = success).
  * `我没**找到**钥匙 (wǒ méi **zhǎodào** yàoshi)` - I **didn't find** the keys (Action 'look' was attempted, but Result 'attain' was not achieved).
This linguistic habit encourages speakers to be precise about outcomes. It separates the *attempt* of an action from its *result*, a distinction that is fundamental to communication in daily life. This focus on the end result over the attempt can be seen as a microcosm of a broader cultural emphasis on tangible outcomes and effectiveness.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
The resultative complement is everywhere in spoken and written Chinese. It's not a formal or academic structure; it's the default way to talk about completed actions.
**Basic Structure:**
`Subject + Verb + **Result Complement** + Object (+ 了)`
**Negation:**
This is one of the most important rules. To negate a resultative complement, you **must** use `没 (méi)` or `没有 (méiyǒu)`, never `不 (bù)`.
`Subject + 没(有) + Verb + **Result Complement** + Object`
  * Correct: `我没**看完**那本书。` (Wǒ méi kànwán nà běn shū.) - I didn't finish reading that book.
  * Incorrect: `我不看完那本书。`
**Questions:**
You can form a yes/no question by adding `了吗 (le ma)` or using the `...了没有 (...le méiyǒu)` structure.
  * `你**做好**饭了吗？` (Nǐ zuòhǎo fàn le ma?) - Have you finished cooking?
  * `你的作业**写完**了没有？` (Nǐ de zuòyè xiěwán le méiyǒu?) - Have you finished your homework or not?
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:**
    * 我已经**吃完**饭了。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ yǐjīng **chīwán** fàn le.
    * English: I have already finished eating.
    * Analysis: `吃 (chī)` is the action "to eat." `完 (wán)` is the result "finished." Together, `吃完 (chīwán)` means to finish eating. This is one of the first and most common resultative complements you will learn.
  * **Example 2:**
    * 晚饭**做好**了，快来吃吧！
    * Pinyin: Wǎnfàn **zuòhǎo** le, kuài lái chī ba!
    * English: Dinner is ready (well-made), come and eat!
    * Analysis: `做 (zuò)` means "to make." The result `好 (hǎo)` means "good" or "complete." `做好 (zuòhǎo)` implies not just that the action is finished, but that it's done and ready for the next step.
  * **Example 3:**
    * 我昨天在街上**看见**了你的老师。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ zuótiān zài jiē shàng **kànjiàn** le nǐ de lǎoshī.
    * English: I saw your teacher on the street yesterday.
    * Analysis: This highlights the difference between attempt and result. `看 (kàn)` is "to look," but `见 (jiàn)` as a result means you successfully perceived it. So `看见 (kànjiàn)` means "to see." You can look (`看`) without seeing (`看见`).
  * **Example 4:**
    * 对不起，我没**听清楚**你刚才说什么。
    * Pinyin: Duìbùqǐ, wǒ méi **tīngqīngchu** nǐ gāngcái shuō shénme.
    * English: Sorry, I didn't hear clearly what you just said.
    * Analysis: `听 (tīng)` is "to listen." `清楚 (qīngchu)` is "clear." The negative form `没听清楚` shows that the action of listening was performed, but the result of clarity was not achieved.
  * **Example 5:**
    * 你终于**找到**你的钱包了！
    * Pinyin: Nǐ zhōngyú **zhǎodào** nǐ de qiánbāo le!
    * English: You finally found your wallet!
    * Analysis: `找 (zhǎo)` is "to look for." `到 (dào)` means "to arrive" or "to attain." `找到 (zhǎodào)` is the successful result of searching, meaning "to find."
  * **Example 6:**
    * 这道题我**算错**了。
    * Pinyin: Zhè dào tí wǒ **suàncuò** le.
    * English: I calculated this problem incorrectly.
    * Analysis: `算 (suàn)` means "to calculate." `错 (cuò)` is the result "wrong" or "mistaken." This is a very direct way to state an error was made.
  * **Example 7:**
    * 今天的语法你**听懂**了吗？
    * Pinyin: Jīntiān de yǔfǎ nǐ **tīngdǒng** le ma?
    * English: Did you understand today's grammar? (Literally: Did you listen and understand?)
    * Analysis: `听 (tīng)` is "to listen," and `懂 (dǒng)` is "to understand." `听懂 (tīngdǒng)` is the specific result of understanding something you heard, which is different from `看懂 (kàndǒng)` (to understand something you read).
  * **Example 8:**
    * 他把我的杯子**打碎**了。
    * Pinyin: Tā bǎ wǒ de bēizi **dǎsuì** le.
    * English: He broke my cup.
    * Analysis: `打 (dǎ)` has many meanings, here "to strike." `碎 (suì)` means "shattered." `打碎 (dǎsuì)` means to smash or break into pieces. This example also uses the [[把字句]], which is very common with resultative complements.
  * **Example 9:**
    * 请把房间**打扫干净**。
    * Pinyin: Qǐng bǎ fángjiān **dǎsǎo gānjìng**.
    * English: Please clean the room. (Literally: Please sweep the room clean.)
    * Analysis: `打扫 (dǎsǎo)` is the action "to clean/sweep." `干净 (gānjìng)` is the result "clean." This command isn't just to perform the action of cleaning, but to achieve the state of cleanliness.
  * **Example 10:**
    * 我快**饿死**了！
    * Pinyin: Wǒ kuài **èsǐ** le!
    * English: I'm starving to death!
    * Analysis: This is a common exaggeration. `饿 (è)` means "hungry," and `死 (sǐ)` means "to die." `饿死 (èsǐ)` is a hyperbolic way to say you are extremely hungry. It functions as a resultative complement showing the extreme result of hunger.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **Mistake 1: Using `不` for negation.** As stated above, this is the most common error. Resultative complements describe a completed (or not completed) action in the past, so they must be negated with `没 (méi)`.
    * **Correct:** 我**没找到**我的手机。 (Wǒ méi zhǎodào wǒ de shǒujī.) - I didn't find my phone.
    * **Incorrect:** 我不找到我的手机。
    * **Note:** `我不找` (Wǒ bù zhǎo) is grammatically correct, but it means "I am not going to look," expressing future intention, not a past result.
  * **Mistake 2: Confusing the action with the result.** A beginner might say `我看了 (wǒ kàn le)` when they mean "I finished watching."
    * `我看了 (wǒ kàn le)` just means "I watched/looked." It doesn't say if you finished or if you actually saw anything specific.
    * `我看完了 (wǒ kànwán le)` means "I finished watching."
    * `我看见了 (wǒ kànjiàn le)` means "I saw it."
    * Always ask yourself: Did I just do the action, or did I achieve a specific result?
  * **Mistake 3: Using `了 (le)` with `没 (méi)`.** When you negate with `没 (méi)`, you must drop the `了 (le)`. The particle `了` indicates completion, while `没` indicates non-completion, so they are contradictory.
    * **Correct:** 他**没听懂**。 (Tā méi tīngdǒng.) - He didn't understand.
    * **Incorrect:** 他没听懂了。
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * [[补语]] (bǔyǔ) - The general grammatical category of "complements." The resultative complement is one of several types.
  * [[可能补语]] (kěnéng bǔyǔ) - The potential complement. It's built from the resultative complement to express ability (e.g., `听得懂` - able to understand, `听不懂` - unable to understand).
  * [[趋向补语]] (qūxiàng bǔyǔ) - The directional complement. Another major type of complement that shows the direction of an action (e.g., `走上来` - to walk up here).
  * [[了]] (le) - The aspect particle for completion. It is almost always used with positive resultative complements to show that the action and its result have occurred.
  * [[把字句]] (bǎ zìjù) - The "ba" sentence structure. It is frequently used with resultative complements to emphasize the disposal of or effect on an object.
  * [[在]] (zài) - Can act as a resultative complement indicating the location of something as a result of an action (e.g., `放在桌子上` - to place it on the table).
  * [[到]] (dào) - A very common resultative complement meaning "to attain" a goal or "to arrive" at a place/time (e.g., `做到` - to achieve it, `等到` - to wait until).