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Verb + 得了 / 不了 (can / can't manage)
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Too much food
- Your host keeps adding dishes to the table, far more than two people can eat.
- so这么much多food菜，we / us我们eat吃can't不了。 — "This much food — we can't possibly eat it all."
Verb + (degree marker)得(completed / change)了 / can't不了 (liǎo)
- Verb + (degree marker)得(completed / change)了 = can manage it; Verb + can't不了 = can't manage it: go去(degree marker)得(completed / change)了 / go去can't不了, eat吃(degree marker)得(completed / change)了 / eat吃can't不了.
- (completed / change)了 here is read liǎo ("finish, manage").
tomorrow明天I我am busy有事，go去can't不了。
Complete: “I've got something on tomorrow, so I can't come.” 我明天有事，来____了。
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Verb + 不了 = can't manage.
Ability, quantity, endurance
- Quantity: 一个person人eat吃can't不了so这么much多。 — "One person can't eat this much."
- Endurance: so这么hot热(modifier / structural particle)的weather天，I我can't stand受不了。 — "I can't stand this heat."
so这么hot热的weather天，I我can't stand受不了。
Build: “I can't stand this heat.”
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Topic, then subject + 受不了.
Read it liǎo
- In eat吃can't不了 / go去(degree marker)得(completed / change)了, (completed / change)了 = liǎo, not the particle le.
- Ask with both forms: you你go去(degree marker)得(completed / change)了go去can't不了？ or you你go去(degree marker)得(completed / change)了(yes/no ?)吗？
How is 了 read in 受不了?
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In potential complements 得了 / 不了 (“can / can't manage”), 了 is read liǎo: 受不了 shòu bu liǎo “can't stand it”. The particle le is a different use.
can't不了 versus (can't)不finish完 and cannot不能
- eat吃(can't)不finish完 = can't finish (the food is left over); eat吃can't不了 = can't manage (too much, or unable).
- cannot不能 = not allowed or not able in general: you你cannot不能go去 — "You can't (aren't allowed to) go."
food菜too太much多，eat吃(can't)不finish完。
你不能去 is about permission; 你去不了 is about being able.
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不能 can be a rule; 去不了 says it is impossible.
Recap
- Verb + (degree marker)得(completed / change)了 / can't不了 (liǎo) = can / can't manage: go去can't不了, eat吃can't不了, can't stand受不了.
- (can't)不finish完 means unable to finish; cannot不能 can express inability or prohibition, depending on context.
Read the full reference: HSK 5 grammar — Complements.
Your host keeps adding dishes to the table, far more than two people can eat. 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.