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Potential Complements

Can / cannot achieve the result

Insert 得 (can) or 不 (cannot)

得 or 不 goes between the verb and its result.

📊 Potential complement
Form Meaning Example
V 得 C able to 听得懂
V 不 C unable to 听不懂
V 得了 can manage 吃得了
V 不了 cannot manage 吃不了
💬 Examples
看得懂
kàndedǒng
can understand (reading)
📝 verb + 得 + result = able
看不懂
kànbudǒng
cannot understand
📝 verb + 不 + result = unable
得了 / 不了 (manage to)

Whether an action is feasible at all.

💬 Examples
我吃不了这么多。
Wǒ chībuliǎo zhème duō.
I can't eat this much.
📝 不了 = can't manage
你来得了吗?
Nǐ láideliǎo ma?
Can you make it?
📝 得了 = can manage
Different from 能

Potential complements stress the inherent possibility of the result.

💬 Examples
这个字我写不出来。
Zhège zì wǒ xiěbuchūlái.
I can't write this character (from memory).
📝 不出来 = can't produce
听得见吗?
Tīngdejiàn ma?
Can you hear (it)?
📝 得见 = able to hear