Verb + 得 + Complement
Use Verb + 得 + complement to describe an action by saying how well, how much, or in what state it was performed. The verb is the action; the chunk after 得 is the report card — 跑得快 (runs fast), 笑得开心 (laughs happily), 累得不想说话 (so tired (he) doesn't want to talk). The complement can be a single adjective or a longer phrase; 得 is the glue that connects them.
Structure
[SUBJECT] [VERB] 得 [COMPLEMENT]
[VERB] de [COMPLEMENT]
How to Think About It
得 lets the verb keep talking. Without it, the verb just names an action and stops. With 得, you can hang an adjective, a clause, or even a longer description off the back end — 高兴得跳起来 (so happy he jumped). The bigger the complement, the more vivid the report on the action. This is what gives Chinese its trademark 'he laughed so hard his stomach hurt' style of description.
Examples
他笑得很开心。
Tā xiào de hěn kāixīn.
He laughed happily.
孩子哭得很伤心。
Háizi kū de hěn shāngxīn.
The child cried very sadly.
她忙得没时间吃饭。
Tā máng de méi shíjiān chīfàn.
She's so busy she has no time to eat.
Common Mistake
Learners use 很 between the verb and adjective without 得 — copying the bare adjective pattern. 得 is mandatory: without it, the adjective can't attach to the verb as a complement.
他跑很快。
他跑得很快。
Don't Confuse With
Adverb + 地 + Verb
Adverb + 地 modifies a verb from the front (慢慢地走). Verb + 得 + complement comments from the back. Different position, different focus.
Verb + 完 / Verb + 好
Resultative complements like 完 and 好 attach directly without 得, and they mark completion or success, not manner. Use 得 when the complement is descriptive.
Verb + 得 + 了/不 (potential)
得 also forms potential complements (吃得了 = 'able to eat it all'). The shape is similar but the meaning is 'can/cannot,' not 'how well.' Context and the complement word disambiguate.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 他跑___非常快。
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得
Fill in the blank: 我累___都站不起来了。
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得
Arrange: 得 / 很 / 他 / 唱 / 好
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他唱得很好。
Translate to Chinese: He ate so much that his stomach hurt.
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他吃得肚子都疼了。
Write a sentence with Verb + 得 + complement describing how you did something today.
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我今天睡得很晚。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 5 Fluentide episodes:
而且跑得很快。
他唱歌唱得非常好听。
他唱歌很好听 (He sings very well/pleasantly)
她的汉语说得非常好。
心态调整得不错
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear Verb + 得 + Complement 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.