Mandarin Chinese verb complement

5.5 Verb-Complement Constructions

A verb-complement construction is composed of a verb followed by a complementary element, or complement. A verb complement is different in nature from a verb object; an object is the recipient of the action expressed by the verb and is usually a noun, but a complement serves to describe or explain the action expressed by the verb and is almost never a noun. Adjectives or verbs more commonly serve as complements.

The verb-complement construction, like the verb-object construction, can be used either to form phrases or to form words. When a verb-complement construction forms a phrase, it is composed of two individual words; when it forms a word, then its two components are dependent morphemes. It is often extremely difficult to tell whether a given verb-complement construction is a phrase or a word, as in the examples below:

dǎ (to strike) + dǎo (to topple) = (to overthrow): the complement dǎo describes the result of the verb dǎ;
dǎ (to strike) + sǐ (to die) = (to beat to death): the complement sǐ describes the result of the verb dǎ;
zǒu (to walk) + lái (to come) = (to walk (toward the speaker)): the complement lái describes the direction of the verb zǒu;
zǒu (to walk) + jìnlai (to come in)= (to walk in (toward the speaker)): the complement jìnlai describes the direction of the verb zǒu.

From a semantic or from an intuitive point of view, the relation between the two components of the verb-complement construction is closer than that between the components of the verb-object construction. Consider the verb-object construction dǎ rén (to hit a person), in which the verb dǎ stands in opposition to its object. The whole clearly forms a phrase, not a single word. It is far more difficult to determine whether the following verb-complement constructions with dǎ are single words or phrases:

dǎ (to strike) + dǎo (to topple) = (to overthrow);
dǎ + bài (to defeat) = (to defeat);
dǎ + kāi (to open) = (to open, turn on);
dǎ + pò (to break) = (to break);
dǎ + tōng (through) = (to get through);
dǎ + sǐ (to die) = (to beat to death).

For this reason, we are forced to fall back on the criterion of number of syllables and Putonghua's tendency toward disyllabism to set rules for the writing of verb-complement constructions. Ruling on the basis of syllables has two distinct advantages: it makes orthography easier to master and avoids the question of word versus phrase; and it keeps written words moderate in length, which is an aid to comprehension. In the following section, verb-complement constructions are introduced and discussed according to internal syllable structure.

1 + 1: are written as a single unit:
- Complements showing direction:
  - ná (to take) + lai (to come) --> nálai (to bring);
  - zǒu (to walk) + qu (to go) --> zǒuqu (to walk away from the speaker));
  - pá (to climb) + shàng (on) --> páshàng (to climb up);
  - zuò (to sit) + xià (under) --> zuòxià (to sit down);
  - mǎi (to buy) + jìn (enter) --> mǎijìn (to purchase);
  - mài (to sell) + chū (to exit) --> màichū (to sell);
  - tí (to lift) + qǐ (to rise) --> tíqǐ (to raise up);
  - kàn (to look) + dào (to arrive) --> kàndào (to see).
- Complements describing a result:
  - tīng (to listen) + dǒng (to understand) --> tīngdǒng (to understand what one hears);
  - gǎn (to drive) + zǒu (to leave) --> gǎnzǒu (to drive away);
  - zhuō (to catch) + zhù (to stop) --> zhuōzhù (to catch, capture);
  - chī (to eat) + diào (away, gone) --> chīdiào (to eat up);
  - tuī (to push) + fān (to overturn) --> tuīfān (to overturn, topple);
  - gǎo (to do) + hǎo (good) --> gǎohǎo (to do well);
  - fàng (to expand) + dà (large) --> fàngdà (to enlarge);
  - tí (to lift) + gāo (high) --> tígāo (to improve, increase);
  - yā (to press) + biǎn (flat) --> yābiǎn (to crush);
  - mó (to grind) + suì (to smash) --> mósuì (to grind to bits).
- Complements showing degree:
  - è (hungry) + jí (extreme) --> èjí le (very hungry);
  - hǎo (good) + jí (extreme) --> hǎojí le (excellent);
  - chà (to fall short) + yuǎn (far) --> chàyuǎn le (to fall far short);
  - shú (ripe) + tòu (fully) --> shútòu le (fully ripe);
  - jí (to worry) + sǐ (to die) --> jísǐ le (to be worried to death);
  - qì (angry) + huài (very) --> qìhuài le (to be extremely angry).
1 + 2: are written as two units:
- Complements showing direction:
  - ná (to take) + huílai (to return) --> ná huílai (to bring back);
  - zǒu (to walk) + jìnlai (to come in) --> zǒu jìnlai (to walk in (toward the speaker);
  - pá (to climb) + shàngqu (to go up) --> pá shàngqu (to climb up (away from the speaker));
  - tiào (to jump) + guòqu (to go across) --> tiào guòqu (to jump across (away from the speaker));
  - chàng (to sing) + qǐlai (to begin) --> chàng qǐlai (to start singing).
- Complements describing a result.
  - tīng (to listen) + míngbai (to understand) --> tīng míngbai (to understand what one hears);
  - jiǎng (to explain) + qīngchu (clear) --> jiǎng qīngchu (to make (something) clear);
  - xiě (to write) + xiángxì (detailed) --> xiě xiángxì (to write of in detail);
  - zuò (to sit) + wěndàng (still) --> zuò wěndàng (to sit still);
  - hē (to drink) + tòngkuài (to one's heart's content) --> hē tòngkuài (to drink one's fill);
  - xī (to wash) + gānjing (clean) --> xī gānjing (to wash clean).
2 + 1: are written as two units.
There are relatively few example of this form:
- huíyì (to recall) + qǐ (to rise) --> huíyì qǐ (to recall);
- kǎolǜ (to consider) + dào (to arrive) --> kǎolǜ dào (to take into consideration);
- zhěnglǐ (to arrange) + hǎo (good) --> zhěnglǐ hǎo (to put in order);
- xuéxí (to study) + wán (to finish) --> xuéxí wán (to finish studying).
2 + 2: are written as two units:
- jiānchí (to persevere) + xiàqu (to continue) --> jiānchí xiàqu (to persevere);
- tuánjiě (to unite) + qǐlai (up) --> tuánjiě qǐlai (to unite);
- dǎsǎo (to clean up) + gānjìng (clean) --> dǎsǎo gānjìng (to tidy up);
- jiěshì (to explain) + míngbai (clear) --> jiěshì míngbai (to make clear).

To sum up: all verb-complement constructions except those of the form 1 + 1 are written as two units.

Two more points still require clarification:

An adjective can sometimes serve as the "verb" of a verb-complement construction. The same ortbographic rules operate in this situation as with other verb-complement constructions. A few examples:
- hóng (red) + tòu (fully) --> hóngtòu (red through and through);
- hóng (red) + qǐlai (to begin) --> hóng qǐlai (to become red);
- nuǎnhuo (warm) + qǐlai (to begin) --> nuǎnhuo qǐlai (to get warm).
A verb-complement construction may be followed by the tense marker le. If the verb-complement construction is written as a single unit, then le is written together with it; if the construction is written as two units, then le is written separate from it. This is the same general principle as was set out in Section 2 above, in the discussion of le. A few examples of le with verb-complement constructions:
- nálái (to bring) + le --> náláile (brought);
- ná qǐlái (to pick up) + le --> ná qǐlái le (picked up);
- tīngdǒng (to understand what one hears) + le --> tīngdǒng le (understood what one heard).
- tīng míngbai (to understand what one hears) + le --> tīng míngbai le (understood what one heard).
This rule applies only when le appears in the middle of a sentence. When le is the final element in a sentence or clause, it is always written separately from the word preceding it, as stated in Section 2 above.

contents | romanization-related books

Pinyin

5.5 Verb-Complement Constructions