# HSK 2 Complements of State: Verb + 得 + Adjectival Phrase Grammar Guide | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-2-state-complements-1-g052 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-2-g052 HSK levels: 2 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:55:37.344Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how to use the Chinese complement of state (动词+得+形容词性短语) for HSK 2. Master word order, object placement, negation, and differences from other complements. Grammar [HSK 2 · Sentence components › Complement › State complements 1](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-2#hsk-2-g052) # HSK 2 Complements of State (状态补语1): Verb + 得 + Adjectival Phrase The complement of state with 得 (de) follows a verb to evaluate, describe, or state the habitual quality or resultative state of an action. Unlike English adverbs that can follow objects directly, Chinese requires 得 to attach immediately to the verb. Subject Verb 得 Adjectival Phrase Example sentence 弟弟跑得很快。 Dìdi pǎo de hěn kuài. My younger brother runs very fast. Basic affirmative structure where the adjectival phrase 很快 (hěn kuài) evaluates the action 跑 (pǎo). A common mistake × 哥哥做饭得特别好。 Gēge zuò fàn de tèbié hǎo. (Intended) My older brother cooks especially well. Incorrect: The object 饭 (fàn) cannot stand between the verb 做 (zuò) and the particle 得. Repeat the verb as shown in the correct replacement. Corrected example: 哥哥做饭做得特别好。 **Read the full explanation and examples** ## What Is the Complement of State? In the official HSK 2 grammar outline, the primary complement of state (状态补语1) is defined by the pattern Verb + 得 + Adjectival Phrase (动词+得+形容词性短语). In a complete Chinese sentence, a complement sits after the main verb to provide additional information about the predicate. This structure describes or evaluates an action’s state, degree or quality, whether for one occasion, an ongoing event or a general skill. 得 (de, neutral tone) introduces the description after the verb. Compare post-verbal 跑得很快 with pre-verbal 快快地跑: the placement changes how the description is organized, without proving that one action was intentional and the other was not. Subject Verb 得 Adjectival Phrase 弟弟跑得很快。 Dìdi pǎo de hěn kuài. My younger brother runs very fast. Basic affirmative structure where the adjectival phrase 很快 (hěn kuài) evaluates the action 跑 (pǎo). ## Building the Adjectival Phrase, Negation, and Questions An adjectival phrase can be simple or expanded. 很快 and 特别好 are useful beginner forms, but a single adjective is also possible: 他说得对 and 干得好！ are complete. The outline term 形容词性短语 describes a grammatical function; it does not impose a minimum word count or require 很 in every sentence. To negate the degree description, put 不 inside the complement: 睡得不晚. To ask about that description, use 写得好不好 or 写得好吗. Negation can have a wider scope in another sentence, as in 这次我没考得很好 (“I did not do very well this time”). 很 is not automatically forbidden in negative or question sentences. Subject Verb 得 Adjective 不 Adjective ？ 我昨天睡得不晚。 Wǒ zuótiān shuì de bù wǎn. I did not go to sleep late yesterday. Negation uses 不 (bù) inside the complement after 得, rather than before the main verb 睡 (shuì). 他写得好不好？ Tā xiě de hǎo bu hǎo? Does he write well? An affirmative-negative question is formed inside the adjectival phrase after 得. ## Word Order Restrictions with Direct Objects The most important position restriction in this pattern is that the structural particle 得 must attach directly to the verb. A noun object cannot stand between the verb and 得. This also applies to separable verbs (离合词) such as 做饭 (zuò fàn, to cook) or 游泳 (yóu yǒng, to swim), where the second character is grammatically an object. - Verb repetition (verb copying): State the Verb + Object first, and then immediately repeat the Verb + 得 + Adjectival Phrase. - Object fronting: Move the Object before the verb (either after the subject or to the start of the clause) so the verb sits right next to 得. Subject Verb Object Verb 得 Adjectival Phrase Subject Object Verb 得 Adjectival Phrase 哥哥做饭做得特别好。 Gēge zuò fàn zuò de tèbié hǎo. My older brother cooks especially well. Because 做饭 (zuò fàn) is a verb-object phrase, the verb 做 (zuò) is repeated before 得. × 哥哥做饭得特别好。 Gēge zuò fàn de tèbié hǎo. (Intended) My older brother cooks especially well. Incorrect: The object 饭 (fàn) cannot stand between the verb 做 (zuò) and the particle 得. Repeat the verb as shown in the correct replacement. Corrected example: 哥哥做饭做得特别好。 她起得非常早，汉语也说得很好。 Tā qǐ de fēicháng zǎo, Hànyǔ yě shuō de hěn hǎo. She gets up very early, and she speaks Chinese very well too. The second clause fronts the object 汉语 (Hànyǔ) before the verb 说 (shuō) so that 得 stays directly attached to the verb. ## Distinguishing State Complements from Neighbouring Complements At the HSK 2 level, learners encounter several distinct complement categories after a verb. Understanding what question each complement answers prevents confusion during sentence construction. - Complement of State (状态补语1): Uses Verb + 得 + Adjectival Phrase to evaluate how an action goes or the resulting state of the subject or action (for example, running fast or cooking well). - Directional Complements (趋向补语): Attach movement verbs directly after the main verb without 得 to indicate the physical path or direction of an action (such as moving inward, upward, or back toward the speaker). - Quantitative Complements (数量补语): Follow a verb or adjective without 得 to measure exact duration, frequency, or comparative difference, answering 'how long' or 'by how much' rather than giving an adjectival evaluation. Key Takeaway: Use Verb + 得 + Adjectival Phrase whenever you want to rate someone's habitual skill or describe the observable quality of a completed or ongoing action. Always keep 得 glued directly to the verb. ## Frequently asked questions **Why is an adverb like 很 (hěn) usually needed after 得?** 很快 is a useful neutral way to describe running, but 很 is not compulsory after 得. 他说得对 and 干得好！ work with a single adjective. Choose the complement wording for the intended evaluation and context. **Why does 不 (bù) go after 得 instead of before the verb?** In 睡得不晚, 不 negates “late”, not the act of sleeping. Other negation scopes are possible: 没考得很好 negates the overall claim of performing well. A 得 complement can also appear in a prediction, request or hypothetical sentence, so it does not prove that an action has already happened. **Do I always have to repeat the verb when there is an object?** No. Repeating the verb is very common, especially with separable verbs like 做饭 or 游泳, but you can also move the object before the verb (as in 汉语说得很好) so that the verb still directly precedes 得. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 390](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=390) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. [![Download on the App Store](https://hskready.app/download-on-app-store-black.svg)Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6791916440?l=en)[![Get it on Google Play](https://hskready.app/get-it-on-google-play.svg)Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.curiolab.hskready&hl=en) [HSKReady App](https://hskready.app/en/app)