Lesson 5: Potential Complements

Overview

Potential complements (可能补语, kěnéng bǔyǔ) insert 得 (affirmative) or 不 (negative) between a verb and its result or direction complement to express whether the action can or cannot achieve the intended result. This structure is unique to Chinese and has no direct English parallel, making it one of the most important patterns for non-native speakers to internalize.

Learning Objectives

• Form potential complements by inserting 得 or 不 between verb and complement
• Understand the difference between potential complements and actual result complements
• Use common potential complement phrases: 听得懂/听不懂, 看不见, 搬得动/搬不动
• Ask questions using the affirmative-negative form: 听得懂听不懂?

Vocabulary

Character	Pinyin	Type	Meaning	Example
听得懂	tīng de dǒng	potential	can understand (by listening)	你听得懂吗？
听不懂	tīng bu dǒng	potential	cannot understand	我听不懂方言
看不见	kàn bu jiàn	potential	cannot see	太暗了看不见
进得去	jìn de qù	potential	can go in	门开着，进得去
搬不动	bān bu dòng	potential	cannot move (too heavy)	这个箱子搬不动
吃得完	chī de wán	potential	can finish eating	这么多菜，吃得完吗？
做得到	zuò de dào	potential	can achieve/do	这件事我做得到
来得及	lái de jí	potential	have enough time to	还来得及
来不及	lái bu jí	potential	not enough time	来不及了
说得清楚	shuō de qīngchǔ	potential	can explain clearly	你说得清楚吗？
走得动	zǒu de dòng	potential	can walk (physically able)	老人走得动吗？
记得住	jì de zhù	potential	can remember	这么多单词记得住吗？
买得到	mǎi de dào	potential	can buy, available for purchase	这里买得到吗？
出得去	chū de qù	potential	can go out	门锁了，出不去

Grammar Focus

Pattern 1: Verb + 得/不 + Result Complement

Structure: Verb + 得 + Result (can achieve it) / Verb + 不 + Result (cannot achieve it)

This is the core pattern. Insert 得 or 不 between the verb and the result complement. The meaning shifts from a factual statement (did/did not) to a statement of ability or possibility (can/cannot). 了 is never used in potential complement sentences.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
他说话太快，我听不懂。	Tā shuōhuà tài kuài, wǒ tīng bu dǒng.	He speaks too fast, I can't understand.
这道菜你吃得完吗？	Zhè dào cài nǐ chī de wán ma?	Can you finish this dish?
这个问题我说得清楚。	Zhège wèntí wǒ shuō de qīngchǔ.	I can explain this question clearly.

Common mistake: Adding 了 after a potential complement. 听得懂了 is wrong in a potential sense. 了 belongs with actual result complements, not potential ones.

Pattern 2: Verb + 得/不 + Direction Complement

Structure: Verb + 得/不 + Direction Complement (进/出/上/下/回/过/起 + 来/去)

The same 得/不 insertion works with direction complements to express whether movement is physically possible.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
门太小了，这张床搬不进去。	Mén tài xiǎo le, zhè zhāng chuáng bān bu jìnqù.	The door is too small, this bed can't be moved in.
楼梯很窄，你走得上去吗？	Lóutī hěn zhǎi, nǐ zǒu de shànggù ma?	The stairs are narrow, can you go up?
外面下雪了，车开不出去。	Wàimiàn xià xuě le, chē kāi bu chūqù.	It's snowing outside, the car can't get out.

Common mistake: Confusing 进不去 (cannot go in) with 没进去 (didn't go in). The first is about possibility, the second is about what actually happened.

Pattern 3: Special Potential Complements: 来得及/来不及

Structure: 来得及 (there is enough time) / 来不及 (not enough time remains)

来得及 and 来不及 are fixed potential complement phrases that specifically address whether something can be done given time constraints. They function as verb phrases.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
还有三十分钟，来得及。	Hái yǒu sānshí fēnzhōng, lái de jí.	There are still thirty minutes, there's time.
火车马上到了，来不及了。	Huǒchē mǎshàng dào le, lái bu jí le.	The train is arriving soon, there's no time.
你快点，还来得及换衣服。	Nǐ kuài diǎn, hái lái de jí huàn yīfú.	Hurry up, you still have time to change clothes.

Common mistake: Using 可以 instead of 来得及 for time-based possibility. 可以换衣服 means "allowed to change," while 来得及换衣服 means "there is enough time to change."

Dialogue

A: 今晚的表演七点开始，现在六点半了，我们来得及吗？ Jīnwǎn de biǎoyǎn qī diǎn kāishǐ, xiànzài liù diǎn bàn le, wǒmen lái de jí ma? Tonight's performance starts at seven, it's six-thirty now, is there enough time?

B: 应该来得及。地铁十分钟就到了。 Yīnggāi lái de jí. Dìtiě shí fēnzhōng jiù dào le. There should be time. The subway takes ten minutes.

A: 但是我的票找不到了，你帮我找一下好吗？ Dànshì wǒ de piào zhǎo bu dào le, nǐ bāng wǒ zhǎo yīxià hǎo ma? But I can't find my ticket, can you help me look?

B: 你看，桌子上有一张纸，看得清楚吗？是不是你的票？ Nǐ kàn, zhuōzi shàng yǒu yī zhāng zhǐ, kàn de qīngchǔ ma? Shì bu shì nǐ de piào? Look, there's a piece of paper on the table, can you see it clearly? Is it your ticket?

A: 哎，灯太暗了，看不清楚。你拿过来让我看看。 Āi, dēng tài àn le, kàn bu qīngchǔ. Nǐ ná guòlái ràng wǒ kàn kan. Ah, the light is too dim, I can't see clearly. Bring it over and let me look.

B: 好，你看，是这张吗？ Hǎo, nǐ kàn, shì zhè zhāng ma? Here, look, is this the one?

A: 对！找到了！走，我们出发，还来得及！ Duì! Zhǎodào le! Zǒu, wǒmen chūfā, hái lái de jí! Yes! Found it! Let's go, we still have time!

Practice

Exercise 1: Transform to potential complement

Change each factual sentence to a potential complement sentence expressing inability:

1. 他没听懂老师的话。(He couldn't understand)
2. 我没搬动这个箱子。(It's too heavy to move)
3. 她没出去。(The door is locked, she can't get out)

Exercise 2: 得 or 不?

Fill in the blank to make a logical sentence:

1. 这道菜太辣了，我吃___完。
2. 你放心，这件事我做___到。
3. 现在才五点，来___及，别担心。

Exercise 3: Question forms

Write the affirmative-negative question form for each potential complement:

1. 听得懂 / 听不懂 → ___？
2. 搬得动 / 搬不动 → ___？
3. 来得及 / 来不及 → ___？

Cultural Note

The potential complement structure reflects a pragmatic aspect of Chinese communication: distinguishing between what happened and what was possible. In daily conversation, Chinese speakers frequently use potential complements to politely decline requests or explain limitations without giving direct refusals. For example, saying 今天来不及了 (there's no time today) or 我拿不动 (I can't carry it) is considered more natural and less abrupt than a simple 不 (no). This indirect communication style through grammar is a subtle but important feature of Chinese social interaction.