HSK 4
Correct
数量补语
/ shùliàng bǔyǔ /
Strokes
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Formula
1
Verb + Quantity + Verbal measure words
2
Verb + Action-measure complement + Object (Noun)
3
Verb + Action-measure complement + Object (Place)
4
Verb + Object (Place) + Action-measure complement
5
Verb + Object (Personal pronoun) + Action-measure complement
6
Verb + Numeral+ Measure words + Noun of time
7
Verb + Object + Verb + Time-measure complement
8
Verb + Time-measure complement + （的）+ Object
9
Verb + Object (personal pronoun) + Time-measure complement
10
Verb （non-sustainable）+ Object + Time-measure complement
Definition
A word or phrase that follows the predicate to replenish and explain a quantity is called a Quantity Complement (数量补语). It includes Action-measure complements (动量补语) and Time-measure complements (时量补语).
1, The structure "Verb + complement" is used as a complement of frequency to express the frequency of an action;
2, The structure "Verb + complement" is used as a complement of duration to indicate the duration of an action;
2.1 It is used to indicate how long an action lasts;
2.2 It is used to express the period of time after the completion of an action till now;
Example
Action-measure complement (动量补语)
It is used after the verb of a sentence/clause to express the frequency of that action.
了 is placed between the verb and the complement.
了 is placed between the verb and the complement.
Verb + Quantity + Verbal measure words
1
Wǒ
我
kàn
看
le
了
sān
三
biàn
遍
。
I watched three times.
2
Tā
他
lái
来
le
了
liǎng
两
cì
次
。
He came here twice.
3
Dàwèi
大卫
chī
吃
guò
过
liǎng
两
cì
次
kǎoyā
烤鸭
。
David ate roast duck twice.
Action-measure complement (动量补语): the position of the object.
1) When the object is a common noun, the complement is placed after the predicate and before the object; when it is a noun of place, the complement can appear before or after the object.
2) When the object is a personal pronoun, the complement should be placed after the object.
2) When the object is a personal pronoun, the complement should be placed after the object.
Verb + Action-measure complement + Object (Noun)
Verb + Action-measure complement + Object (Place)
Verb + Object (Place) + Action-measure complement
Verb + Object (Personal pronoun) + Action-measure complement
4
Mǎlì
玛丽
dòu
读
le
了
liǎng
两
biàn
遍
kèwén
课文
。
Mary read the text twice.
5
Zuìjìn
最近
Níkè
尼克
qù
去
le
了
yīyuàn
医院
sān
三
cì
次
。
Nick has been to the hospital three times lately.
6
Dàwèi
大卫
zhǎo
找
guò
过
tā
她
liǎng
两
huí
回
。
David approached her twice.
Time-measure complement (时量补语) - 1
It is used after the verb of a sentence/clause to express the frequency of that action.
了 is placed between the verb and the complement.
了 is placed between the verb and the complement.
Verb + Numeral+ Measure words + Noun of time
7
Wǒ
我
kàn
看
le
了
sān
三
biàn
遍
。
I watched three times.
8
Tā
他
lái
来
le
了
liǎng
两
cì
次
。
He came here twice.
9
Tāmen
他们
tán
谈
le
了
liǎng
两
gè
个
xiǎoshí
小时
。
They talked for two hours.
Time-measure complement (时量补语) - 2
It indicates the period of time from the completion of action till now. ( In this case, the verbs used do not indicate actions that can continue. )
10
Wǒ
我
dào
到
zhōngguó
中国
10
10
gè
个
yuè
月
le
了
。
(
2
2
yuè
月
dào
到
zhōngguó
中国
,
xiànzài
现在
12
12
yuè
月
le
了
。
)
I came to China ten months. ( I arrived in China in February, and it is December now.)
11
Tāmen
她们
rènshi
认识
10
10
nián
年
le
了
。
(
2008
2008
nián
年
rènshi
认识
de
的
,
xiànzài
现在
shì
是
2018
2018
nián
年
。
)
They've known each other for ten years. ( They first met in 2008 and it is 2018 now.)
Time-measure complement (时量补语) - 3
It indicates doing something earlier or later than scheduled.
12
Tā
他
jīntiān
今天
shàngkè
上课
zǎo
早
lái
来
le
了
yī
一
gè
个
xiǎoshí
小时
。
(
8
8
diǎn
点
shàngkè
上课
,
tā
他
7
7
diǎn
点
jiù
就
lái
来
le
了
。
)
He attended class one hour earlier this morning. (He should have come to class at 8 o'clock, but he arrived at 7 o'clock.)
13
Wǒ
我
shàngbān
上班
chídào
迟到
le
了
wǔ
五
fēnzhōng
分钟
。
(
9
9
diǎn
点
shàngbān
上班
,
wǒ
我
9 05
9:05
dào
到
gōngsī
公司
)
I was five minutes late. ( I should have gone to work at 9 o'clock, but I arrived at 9: 05.)
Time-measure complement (时量补语) - 4 - Verb reduplication
When the predicate verb that goes with a time-measure complement is followed by an object, the verb is usually repeated and the time- measure complement should be placed after the repeated verb.
The verb may not be repeated, however, the object should be placed after the time-measure complement.
The verb may not be repeated, however, the object should be placed after the time-measure complement.
Verb + Object + Verb + Time-measure complement
Verb + Time-measure complement + （的）+ Object
14
Wǒ
我
kàn
看
zhè
这
běn
本
shū
书
kàn
看
le
了
sān
三
biàn
遍
。
I read this book three times.
15
Tā
他
tīng
听
yīnyuè
音乐
tīng
听
le
了
yīzhěngtiān
一整天
。
He listened to music all day.
16
Tā
他
tīng
听
le
了
yīzhěngtiān
一整天
de
的
yīnyuè
音乐
。
He listened to music all day.
Time-measure complement (时量补语) - 5
When the object is a personal pronoun, the time-measure complement should be placed after the object.
Verb + Object (personal pronoun) + Time-measure complement
17
A
A
:
duìbuqǐ
对不起
,
wǒ
我
chídào
迟到
le
了
。
B
B
:
wǒ
我
děng
等
le
了
nǐ
你
yī
一
gè
个
xiǎoshí
小时
!
A: Sorry, I'm late. B: I waited you for an hour.
Time-measure complement (时量补语) - 6
Some verbs indicating actions, such as 来, 去, 离幵, 结婚,死,毕业 etc. are not continuous. Then the time-measure complement should be placed after the object to indicate the period of time after the action occurs.
Verb （non-sustainable）+ Object + Time-measure complement
18
Tā
他
lái
来
zhōngguó
中国
yī
一
nián
年
le
了
。
He has been in China for a year.
19
Tā
他
líkāi
离开
jiā
家
yī
一
gè
个
yuè
月
le
了
。
He has been away from home for a month.
Exercise
Complete the following sentences with quantity complements：
1. 他今天说话说得很少，只说 了（ ）。
2. 这首歌我好像在什么地方听过（ ）。
3. 昨天我在小丽家住了（ ）晚上。
4. 我从7点到10点一直在等你，我等了你（ ）。
5. 我们是2001年结婚的，现在是2011年，我们结婚（ ）。
6. 表演9点才开始，现在是7点，我还可以休息（ ）。
7. 比赛8点开始，小明9点才到，他晚到了（ ）。
8. 老师我没有听懂，请您再说（ ）好吗？