Your learning plan · Continue · Review →
Potential complement 得 / 不 (can / can't do it)
IntroducedYour saved position stays in this browser. Resuming does not complete the lesson or answer its questions.
Can you understand him?
- Your teacher speaks quickly at the start of a new course, and your friend wonders if you follow.
- teacher老师variant of 说说(can)得太快，I我unable to make sense of…听不懂。 — "The teacher talks too fast; I can't understand."
Verb + (can)得 / (cannot)不 + result
- Verb + (can)得 + result = can (manage to) do it; Verb + (cannot)不 + result = can't: to understand (by hearing)听得懂 / unable to make sense of…听不懂, can see看得见 / cannot see看不见.
- It says whether the result is possible, not whether you are allowed.
I我listen听(can)得understand懂Chinese中文。
The words on the board are too small: “I can't see clearly.” 我看____清楚。
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Verb + 不 + result = can't. 看不清楚 = can't see clearly.
Common pairs
- cannot see看不见 (can't see), to buy买(cannot)不to / arrive到 (can't get hold of), eat吃(cannot)不finish完 (can't finish eating), to have enough time来得及 (there's still time).
- so这么much多food菜，we我们eat吃(cannot)不finish完。 — "This much food — we can't finish it."
so这么much多food菜，we我们eat吃(cannot)不finish完。
Match each form to its meaning.
Difficulty 2/5 · 140 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Verb + 得/不 + result says whether the result is possible.
Build: “This much food — we can't finish it.”
Difficulty 3/5 · 200 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Verb + 不 + 完 = can't finish.
Where (cannot)不 goes
- (cannot)不 goes between the verb and the result: unable to make sense of…听不懂, not (cannot)不understand听懂.
- Ask with both forms: you你to understand (by hearing)听得懂unable to make sense of…听不懂？ or you你to understand (by hearing)听得懂(yes/no ?)吗？
Which says “I can't understand Cantonese.”?
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
不 goes between the verb and the result.
unable to make sense of…听不懂 versus did not没understand听懂
- unable to make sense of…听不懂 = can't understand (it is beyond me): he / him他(modifier / structural particle)的Shanghai municipality…上海old variant of 话话I我unable to make sense of…听不懂.
- did not没understand听懂 = didn't understand (this time): sorry对不起，I我did not没understand听懂，to ask请to say again再说one time (all the way…一遍。
sorry对不起，I我did not没understand听懂。
Recap
- Verb + (can)得 + result = can; Verb + (cannot)不 + result = can't (can see看得见 / cannot see看不见).
- (cannot)不 sits between verb and result. did not没 + verb + result = it did not happen this time.
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Complements.
Your teacher speaks quickly at the start of a new course, and your friend wonders if you follow. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.