Verb + 得 + Adjective
Reach for this when you want to describe HOW someone does an action — 'verb + (how well/poorly/fast/slowly).' 他跑得很快. (He runs fast.) 得 hooks a quality onto a verb: you're not just reporting that he runs, you're rating the manner. It's the standard way in Chinese to add a quality to an action: speaks fluently, writes neatly, sings beautifully, slept poorly.
Structure
[SUBJECT] [VERB] 得 [ADJECTIVE PHRASE]
[VERB] de [ADJ]
How to Think About It
得 (de) splits the verb from its review. Everything LEFT of 得 is the action; everything RIGHT is how it went. The adjective is doing the heavy lifting — '很/真/特别' usually precede it (说得很流利, not 说得流利). If there's an object, you have to repeat the verb: '他说中文说得很好' — first verb takes the object, second verb takes 得 + the rating. Forgetting this re-doubling is the most common mistake.
Examples
他跑得很快。
Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.
He runs very fast.
她中文说得真好。
Tā Zhōngwén shuō de zhēn hǎo.
She speaks Chinese really well.
我昨天晚上睡得不好。
Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang shuì de bù hǎo.
I didn't sleep well last night.
她跑得很快。
Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.
She runs very fast.
他唱歌唱得很好听。
Tā chànggē chàng de hěn hǎotīng.
He sings beautifully.
我睡得不太好。
Wǒ shuì de bú tài hǎo.
I didn't sleep very well.
他踢球踢得非常好。
Tā tī qiú tī de fēicháng hǎo.
He plays soccer extremely well.
小明睡得很好。
Xiǎomíng shuì de hěn hǎo.
Xiao Ming sleeps very well.
他们跑得很慢。
Tāmen pǎo de hěn màn.
They run very slowly.
你说得太对了。
Nǐ shuō de tài duì le.
What you said is exactly right.
Common Mistake
Learners try to put an object directly after 得, but the object has to live with its OWN verb. The 'verb + 得 + adj' chunk can't take an object. You either drop the object or repeat the verb.
他说得中文很好。
他说中文说得很好。
Don't Confuse With
的 (modifier 'de')
的 connects a description to a NOUN ('美丽的花' = beautiful flower). 得 connects an evaluation to a VERB ('跑得快' = run fast). Both pronounced 'de' but totally different jobs — and Chinese always writes them differently.
地 (adverbial 'de')
地 turns an adjective into an adverb BEFORE the verb ('快快地跑' = run quickly, with quickness as a manner). 得 puts the evaluation AFTER the verb as a complement ('跑得快'). Word order is the clue.
Adjective + Verb (adverbial)
Sometimes you can describe an action with an adverb in front: '慢慢走' (walk slowly). That's more direct/imperative. Verb + 得 + Adj is for evaluating completed/habitual actions after the fact ('他走得很慢').
的 (possessive/modifier)
的 connects nouns and modifiers (我的书). 得 follows a verb and introduces a complement. Same pinyin (de), different characters and jobs.
地 (adverbial modifier)
地 sits before a verb to mark manner (慢慢地走 = 'walk slowly'). 得 sits after the verb to describe the result. Before vs. after the verb.
Practice
他唱 ___ 很好听。
Show answer
得
她写汉字写得很 ___。
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漂亮
Put in order: [得 / 慢 / 很 / 走 / 他]
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他走得很慢。
Translate to Chinese: 'My little brother eats really fast.'
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我弟弟吃得很快。
Describe how someone you know does something, using Verb + 得 + Adjective.
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Example answer: 我妈妈做菜做得特别好吃。 (My mom cooks really deliciously.)
Fill in the blank: 他写字写___很漂亮。
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得
Fill in the blank: 这个孩子说话说得很___。 (clear)
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清楚
Arrange: 得 / 跳舞 / 很 / 她 / 好
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她跳舞跳得很好。
Translate to Chinese: He cooks very well.
Show answer
他做菜做得很好。
Write a sentence with Verb + 得 + adjective evaluating how someone does something.
Show answer
我妈妈做饭做得特别香。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 20 Fluentide episodes:
小明写得很慢。
他不是很担心。
她不想穿得太少。 (She didn't want to wear too little.)
做得多 (Make a lot / Made in large quantities)
飞机飞得很快。
他唱得很好听。 (He sings very well.)
小明跑得很快 (Xiao Ming ran very fast)
他在比赛里跑得很快。
他打得很好 (He played very well)
中国做得很快。
昨天晚上，他踢得非常好。
它走得很好。
去年的票卖得很好。
导弹飞得很快。
萨维跑得很快很快。
计算器算得很快。
他唱歌唱得非常好。
小明睡得很好。
他踢球踢得非常好。
它们做得非常大。
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear Verb + 得 + Adjective in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.