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HSK 3 Verb-Complement Separable Verbs (动补式离合词): 离开, 完成, and 分开
In the HSK 3 outline, 离开 (to leave), 完成 (to complete), and 分开 (to separate) are classified as verb-complement separable verbs (动补式离合词). Unlike standard verb-object separable verbs, these words primarily split to insert 得 or 不 for potential meaning, while keeping aspect particles and direct objects after the whole compound.
他昨天离开了北京。
Correct: Both the aspect particle 了 and the direct object 北京 follow the intact compound 离开.
× 他昨天离了开北京。
Incorrect: Do not insert the aspect particle 了 between the verb root and the complement in a verb-complement compound. Place 了 after the whole word 离开 instead, as shown in the corrected sentence.
Corrected example: 他昨天离开了北京。
Read the full explanation and examples
What Are Verb-Complement Separable Verbs?
When learners first meet separable verbs (离合词), they usually learn verb-object compounds (动宾式离合词) such as 见面 (to meet) or 游泳 (to swim). However, the HSK 3 grammar outline also highlights a distinct category under verbs: verb-complement separable words (动补式离合词), represented by 离开 (to leave or depart from), 完成 (to complete or accomplish), and 分开 (to separate or part).
In a verb-complement compound, the first character represents the core action or state (离 to part, 完 to finish, 分 to divide), while the second character is a resultative complement (开 away or apart, 成 accomplished or into shape) that shows the outcome of that first element. Because the two characters have an action-result relationship rather than an action-object relationship, they follow very different rules for when they split and when they stay together.
How They Separate: Inserting 得 and 不
The primary reason verb-complement separable verbs split in everyday Chinese is to form potential complements (可能补语). To express whether the result of the verb can or cannot be achieved, you insert 得 (can achieve) or 不 (cannot achieve) directly between the verb root and the result complement.
- 离开 (to leave) splits into 离得开 (able to leave or do without) and 离不开 (unable to leave or cannot do without).
- 完成 (to complete) splits into 完得成 (able to complete) and 完不成 (unable to complete).
- 分开 (to separate) splits into 分得开 (able to separate or distinguish) and 分不开 (unable to separate or inextricably linked).
孩子还小，离不开妈妈。
Here 不 is inserted between 离 and 开 to form the negative potential complement, followed directly by the object.
工作太多了，我今天完不成。
完成 splits into 完不成 to indicate that the result of completion cannot be achieved.
这两件事分得开吗？
分开 splits with 得 to ask whether separating them is possible.
Notice how 离不开 often carries an idiomatic meaning in daily life: when someone or something cannot function without another person or tool (such as a child needing a parent, or modern life needing smartphones), 离不开 is the standard way to express that dependency.
Using 离开, 完成, and 分开 as Whole Verbs
When you are not using the potential 得 or 不 pattern, 离开, 完成, and 分开 remain intact as single two-character words. Unlike verb-object separable verbs (which cannot take a direct object after the whole word), 离开 and 完成 are transitive verbs that directly take objects after the complete compound.
他昨天离开了北京。
Correct: Both the aspect particle 了 and the direct object 北京 follow the intact compound 离开.
我已经完成了今天的任务。
完成 stays together when followed by 了 and a direct object.
分开 can be used intransitively when two people or things part ways, or transitively (especially in a 把 sentence) when someone separates items.
请把好苹果和坏苹果分开。
分开 stays intact at the end of a 把 sentence.
Critical Contrast: Why You Cannot Insert 了 Inside Them
The biggest trap for learners is overgeneralizing the rules of verb-object separable words. With a verb-object word like 见面, aspect particles like 了, 过, and duration phrases go in the middle. However, in modern Mandarin, verb-complement compounds never allow aspect particles (了, 着, 过) or duration phrases between the verb root and its complement.
× 他昨天离了开北京。
Incorrect: Do not insert the aspect particle 了 between the verb root and the complement in a verb-complement compound. Place 了 after the whole word 离开 instead, as shown in the corrected sentence.
Corrected example: 他昨天离开了北京。
Similarly, if you want to state how long two people have been separated or how long someone has been away from a place, the duration phrase follows the entire word rather than splitting it.
他们已经分开三年了。
Duration phrases like 三年 are placed after the entire verb 分开, not inside it.
Usage Limits and Practical Nuances
Even within the potential form, not every combination is equally common in natural speech. While 完不成 (cannot finish) is very frequent in spoken and written Chinese, the affirmative potential form 完得成 is relatively rare except in direct questions or explicit contrasts; speakers more often say 做得完 or 能完成 to express the affirmative meaning.
Understanding these three words as verb-complement compounds helps you bridge vocabulary and grammar: instead of memorizing 离不开 or 完不成 as unrelated phrases, you can recognize them as regular potential forms of 离开 and 完成.
Frequently asked questions
How do 离开, 完成, and 分开 differ from separable verbs like 见面 or 睡觉?
Words like 见面 and 睡觉 are verb-object compounds, so they split to take aspect particles (见了面) or duration phrases (睡了八个小时觉) and generally cannot take a direct object right after the whole word. By contrast, 离开, 完成, and 分开 are verb-complement compounds: they only split to insert 得 or 不, and they keep 了 and direct objects after the complete two-character verb.
Can 离不开 or 分不开 still take an object after them?
Yes. When 离开 or 分开 splits with 得 or 不, it can still be followed by an object if the meaning calls for one, as in 离不开妈妈 (cannot be separated from mom).
Why are these three words grouped together in HSK 3 preparation?
In the 2025-11 HSK examination outline (marked for implementation in 2026-07), verb-complement separable words (动补式离合词) are explicitly listed at Level 3 with 离开, 完成, and 分开 as the designated syllabus examples. Always check with your official test center regarding which syllabus version applies to a specific booked test.
