结果补语
RuleVerb + resultative complement (wan, dong, hao...): attaches the result of the action right after the verb.
Curiosity
kan (to look) does not state a result. How do you express the result too, as in "finished reading" or "understood"?
Intuition
A resultative sticks the outcome right onto the verb: kan (look) + wan (finish) = kan wan (finish looking). Verb and result move as one chunk.
Visualization
Add the result wan to wo kan shu (I read a book) → wo kan wan shu (I finished reading). wan goes after the verb, before the object.
action only (no result)
我subject看verb书object
resultative added (finished reading)
我subject看verb完complement书object
Essence
Verb + resultative + (object). Common ones: wan (finish), dong (understand), hao (done well), jian (perceive), dao (reach), cuo (wrong). The negative uses mei(you) and keeps the complement (mei kan wan). Insert de/bu to make a potential complement (kan de wan / kan bu wan).
Examples
我看完书了。
I finished reading the book.
老师的话我听懂了。
I understood what the teacher said.
作业还没做完。
I have not finished the homework yet.
Mini-quiz
Which expresses "understood (by listening)"?