HSK 2
V O V 得 A
V O V dé A
(using adverbs)
Structure
Subject + Verb + Object + Verb + 得 + Adjective/Description
How it works
This structure is used to describe how an action is performed using an adverb of degree. Because a verb can only be followed by either an object or a complement, you must repeat the verb after the object before adding the '得' (dé) particle and the adjective.
Examples
他写字写得非常漂亮。
Tā xiězì xiě dé fēicháng piàoliang.
He writes characters very beautifully.
哥哥说汉语说得很流利。
Gēge shuō Hànyǔ shuō dé hěn liúlì.
Older brother speaks Chinese very fluently.
她跑步跑得很快。
Tā pǎobù pǎo dé hěn kuài.
She runs very fast.
Common mistakes
Forgetting to repeat the verb and trying to say '他写字得漂亮' (Tā xiězì dé piàoliang), which is incorrect because '得' must follow the verb directly.
Tip
If you want to shorten the sentence, you can omit the first verb and its object, starting directly with Subject + Verb + 得 + Adj (e.g., 她跑得很快).
More HSK 2 grammar
See V O V 得 A in real Chinese
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