得 vs 了 (de vs le): degree complement vs completion
得 and 了 both follow verbs but serve entirely different purposes. 得 introduces a degree complement that describes the manner, extent, or result of an action (e.g., 吃得多 'eat a lot'). 了 marks completion of an action or a change of state (e.g., 吃完了 'finished eating'). The critical distinction is whether you are evaluating the action (得) or indicating that something happened (了).
Both 得 (de) and 了 (le) appear after verbs, but their grammatical roles are completely different. 得 attaches directly to a verb to introduce a complement that describes how the action is performed—degree, result, or manner (e.g., 跑得快 'run fast'). 了 is an aspect particle that either indicates the completion of an action (了1) or a change of state (了2). When a result or degree complement is present, 了 must be placed after the complement, not between the verb and complement. Understanding this ordering distinction is the key to avoiding common errors.
When to use each
Use 得 after a verb to introduce a complement that describes how the action is done (manner), how much (degree), or what result is achieved. This complement can be an adjective (e.g., 好, 快), a verb phrase (e.g., 起来), or a descriptive phrase. 得 always directly follows the verb, before the complement.
When the verb also takes an object (e.g., 说中文), the verb+得 structure must be repeated or rephrased: 他说中文说得很好 ('He speaks Chinese well') or 他中文说得很好. 得 cannot be used to mark ability (that uses 可以 or 会) or completion.
Use 了 after a verb to indicate that an action has been completed (perfective 了) or after a sentence/state to indicate a change or new situation (modal 了). When a result complement (e.g., 完, 清楚, 到) or a degree complement (e.g., 太多) is present, 了 attaches to the end of that complement, not to the verb.
The same 了 character covers two related functions. In negative contexts, completed actions use 没(有) instead of 了: 我没有吃 (not 我没吃了). The change-of-state 了 is not negated with 没; instead, you use 还没有 or other measures.
At a glance
| 得 | 了 | |
|---|---|---|
| Function | Introduces a complement describing how or to what extent an action is performed | Marks completion of an action or a change of state |
| Position relative to verb | Directly after the verb, before the complement (V + 得 + C) | Directly after the verb (V + 了) if no complement; after the complement if one exists (V + C + 了) |
| What it modifies | Modifies the manner, degree, or result of the verb | Modifies the temporal aspect (completion) or situational state (change) |
| Typical structure | Verb + 得 + Adjective/Phrase (e.g., 说得好) | Verb + 了 (e.g., 吃了) or Verb + Result Complement + 了 (e.g., 吃完了) |
| Negation | 不 + Verb + 得 + Complement? No, actually 不 is placed before the complement: Verb + 得 + 不 + Complement (e.g., 跑得不快) | Completed actions: 没(有) + Verb (no 了). Change-of-state: 还没 + Verb + 呢 (or other patterns). |
Examples
- 得他吃得多，但不胖。Tā chī de duō, dàn bù pàng.He eats a lot, but he's not fat.得 introduces the degree complement '多' (a lot).
- 了他吃了三碗饭。Tā chī le sān wǎn fàn.He ate three bowls of rice.了 marks completion of the action 'eat' (perfective).
- 得他说得很清楚。Tā shuō de hěn qīngchǔ.He speaks very clearly.得 introduces the degree complement '很清楚' (very clear).
- 了他说清楚了。Tā shuō qīngchǔ le.He made it clear (said it clearly, and now it's clear).了 follows the result complement '清楚' to indicate completion of the result and a change of state.
- 得他跑得快了。Tā pǎo de kuài le.He runs faster now (he has become fast).Both 得 and 了 appear: 得 introduces the complement '快', and 了 attaches to the end of the complement to indicate a change of state (he wasn't fast before).
- 了✗他说了清楚。✗ Tā shuō le qīngchǔ.✗ (He said clearly) – ungrammatical.✗ This is wrong because 了 cannot separate the verb from its result complement; correct is '他说清楚了' (V + C + 了).
Common mistakes
- Putting 了 between a verb and a result complement (e.g., 说了清楚) – correct form is 说清楚了.
- Using 了 instead of 得 to describe how an action is done (e.g., 他吃多了 to mean 'he eats a lot' – that means 'he ate too much', not 'he eats a lot'. For 'he eats a lot' use 他吃得多.
- Omitting 得 when a degree complement is needed: e.g., 他说清楚 (meant as 'he speaks clearly') is ungrammatical; must be 他说得清楚.
- Using 得 to mark completion: e.g., 我吃饭得 (I ate) – should be 我吃饭了.
- Placing 了 after the verb when a complement is present: e.g., 他吃了完 (wrong) – correct is 他吃完了.
FAQ
- When do I use 得 vs 了?
- Use 得 when you want to describe how well, how much, or in what manner an action is done (degree complement). Use 了 when you want to say that an action is completed or that a situation has changed. They can appear together but in a strict order: Verb + 得 + Complement + 了.
- Why is '他说了清楚' wrong?
- Because 了 is a perfective marker that should attach to the verb or to the end of a complement. When a result complement like '清楚' follows the verb, the correct structure is Verb + Complement + 了: '他说清楚了'. Placing 了 between the verb and the complement breaks the complement structure.
- Can I use 得 and 了 together? If so, how?
- Yes. For degree complements that also imply a change of state, place 了 after the complement: Verb + 得 + Complement + 了. Example: '他跑得快了' (He runs fast now – implying he didn't before). For result complements, the pattern is Verb + Result Complement + 了.
- What is the difference between '他说得清楚' and '他说清楚了'?
- '他说得清楚' means 'He can speak clearly / he speaks clearly' – a description of ability or manner using 得. '他说清楚了' means 'He said it clearly (and now it's clear)' – a completed action with a result complement plus 了, indicating that the result has been achieved.