Verb(+Object) + Verb + 得 + Degree Complement
得 (de) complements of degree — verb reduplication with objects, and negating inside the complement
A 得-complement (see also the 的/得/地 comparison point) describes how well, how much, or to what degree an action happens: 他跑得很快 (he runs very fast). Two extra rules matter once the verb takes an object. First, if there's an object, the verb must be said TWICE — once with the object, once before 得: 他说汉语说得很好 (he speaks Chinese well), never 他说得很好汉语 or 他说汉语得很好. Second, to negate a degree complement, put 不 (or 没) INSIDE the complement, after 得, not before the verb: 他跑得不快 (he doesn't run fast), not 他不跑得快. The deciding question: does the verb have an object attached — if so, repeat the verb before 得; and where does the negative belong — always after 得, describing the complement itself, never in front of the main verb.
Examples
- 他说汉语说得很流利。tā shuō hàn yǔ shuō de hěn liú lì
He speaks Chinese very fluently.
- 我今天跑得不快，有点儿累。wǒ jīn tiān pǎo de bú kuài, yǒu diǎnr lèi
I didn't run fast today, I'm a bit tired.
- 她唱歌唱得比我好。tā chàng gē chàng de bǐ wǒ hǎo
She sings better than I do.
Common mistake
✗ Wrong: 他说得很好汉语。
✓ Right: 他说汉语说得很好。
When the verb takes an object, the verb must be repeated before 得 — the object attaches to the first occurrence, and the degree complement follows the second.
Practice this pattern
Fill in the missing character:
他说汉语说＿很流利。
He speaks Chinese very fluently.