Verb + 得 + Degree Complement
Reach for this when you want to evaluate or judge an action — not just what someone did, but how well, how fast, how seriously they did it. 得 links the verb to its evaluation, which is usually 很 + adjective ('very well'), an intensifier ('extremely fast'), or a longer descriptive phrase ('so happy he couldn't sleep'). The bigger the complement, the more vivid the evaluation.
Structure
[VERB] 得 [DEGREE / EVALUATION]
...de...
How to Think About It
Think of 得 as opening a 'review section' after the verb. Once 得 appears, the rest of the sentence is no longer about doing the action — it's about rating it. That's why the complement can grow long: 跑得满头大汗 ('ran to the point of being drenched in sweat'). The verb is just the topic; everything after 得 is the commentary.
Examples
他踢球踢得非常好。
Tā tī qiú tī de fēicháng hǎo.
He plays soccer extremely well.
大家都听得很认真。
Dàjiā dōu tīng de hěn rènzhēn.
Everyone is listening very attentively.
她高兴得跳了起来。
Tā gāoxìng de tiào le qǐlái.
She was so happy she jumped up.
Common Mistake
When there's an object, learners say 他踢球得很好 — but you can't insert the object between 得 and what it modifies. The fix is to repeat the verb: action verb + object, then verb again + 得 + complement.
他说中文得很好。
他说中文说得很好。
Don't Confuse With
Verb + 完 / 好 / 到 (result complement)
Result complements (完 = finish, 好 = done well, 到 = reach) attach directly to the verb, no 得 needed: 吃完, 做好, 看到.
Adjective + 地 + Verb
地 modifies the verb BEFORE the action ('seriously study'); 得 evaluates the verb AFTER ('studied well').
Verb + 得 + 不 + Adjective (potential)
得 also forms potential complements (看得懂 = able to understand). Tone is different: that's about CAN/CAN'T, not about HOW WELL.
Practice
他唱歌唱_____ 很好。 (de particle)
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得
我们玩得_____ 开心。 (very)
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很 (or 非常)
Arrange: 得 / 中文 / 很 / 好 / 说 / 他 / 说
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他说中文说得很好。
Translate: She writes Chinese characters beautifully.
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她写汉字写得很漂亮。
Write a sentence using Verb + 得 to evaluate how someone did something today.
Show answer
今天我睡得不太好, 所以现在很累。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear Verb + 得 + Degree Complement in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
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