Introduction
A Chinese verb says what you tried to do; it does not say whether it worked. 我听。(Wǒ tīng.) — I listened. Did I understand? A result complement answers that, glued straight onto the verb: 我听懂了。(Wǒ tīng dǒng le.) — I listened and understood.
Overview
Structure: Verb + 错 (cuò) / 懂 (dǒng) / 好 (hǎo) / 会 (huì) (+ 了 (le))
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| V + 懂（understood） | 我听懂了。(Wǒ tīng dǒng le.) | I understood it. |
| V + 错（wrongly） | 我写错了。(Wǒ xiě cuò le.) | I wrote it wrong. |
| V + 好（done properly） | 我做好了。(Wǒ zuò hǎo le.) | I've finished it properly. |
| V + 会（mastered） | 我学会了。(Wǒ xué huì le.) | I've learned how. |
| 没 + V + 错/懂/好/会 | 我没听懂。(Wǒ méi tīng dǒng.) | I didn't understand. |
The verb is the attempt; the complement is the outcome:
- 我听了。(Wǒ tīng le.) — I listened. Whether I got it is not stated.
- 我听懂了。(Wǒ tīng dǒng le.) — I listened and it landed.
- 我没听懂。(Wǒ méi tīng dǒng.) — I listened and it didn't. The negative is 没 (méi), and 了 (le) drops.
- Nothing may come between the verb and the complement: ✓ 听懂了 (tīng dǒng le) ❌ 听了懂 (tīng le dǒng).
Examples
你说得太快了，我没听懂。
Nǐ shuō de tài kuài le, wǒ méi tīng dǒng.
You spoke too fast, I didn't catch it.
这个字我写错了。
Zhège zì wǒ xiě cuò le.
I wrote this character wrong.
我学会了这个语法。
Wǒ xué huì le zhège yǔfǎ.
I've mastered this grammar point.
饭做好了，来吃吧。
Fàn zuò hǎo le, lái chī ba.
The food's ready, come and eat.
对不起，我打错电话了。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ dǎ cuò diànhuà le.
Sorry, wrong number.
这本书我看懂了一半。
Zhè běn shū wǒ kàn dǒng le yíbàn.
I understood about half of this book.
Usage Notes
- Each complement pairs with particular verbs: 听懂 (tīng dǒng)、看懂 (kàn dǒng)、写错 (xiě cuò)、说错 (shuō cuò)、做好 (zuò hǎo)、学会 (xué huì).
- The negative is always 没 (méi) and never 不 (bù), because you are reporting what did or did not happen: ❌ 我不听懂 (wǒ bù tīng dǒng).
- 完 (wán) belongs to the same family and means "finished": 我吃完了。(Wǒ chī wán le.) 完 is about getting to the end; 好 (hǎo) is about getting it right.
- 学会 (xué huì) is not the same as 会 (huì) on its own. 我会说中文 (wǒ huì shuō Zhōngwén) — I can speak Chinese; 我学会了 (wǒ xué huì le) — I have just acquired the skill.
- The object goes after the whole verb-plus-complement: 我打错电话了。(Wǒ dǎ cuò diànhuà le.)