Table of Contents

Grammar Point

Complements: 懂 dǒng, 完 wán & 了 liǎo

Put 懂 dǒng, 完 wán, or 了 liǎo after a verb and it tells you the result: whether you understood, whether you finished, or whether you’re able to do it at all.

一 V + 懂 · Understand

V + 懂 · to understand

懂 dǒng shows that someone understands as a result of an action, usually after 聽 tīng听 tīng (listen), 看 kàn (look / read), or 搞 gǎo (do, colloquial).

其实qíshí你nǐ没méi听tīng懂dǒng我wǒ在zài说shuō什么shénme，对duì吧ba？

You don’t actually understand what I’m saying, do you?

我wǒ听tīng懂dǒng了le你nǐ的de意思yìsi

I understood what you meant.

我wǒ搞gǎo不bu懂dǒng你nǐ为什么wèishénme要yào这么zhème做zuò

I just don’t get why you want to do this.

我wǒ终于zhōngyú看kàn懂dǒng了leHSK 6 的de文章wénzhāng

I finally understood the HSK 6 article.

你nǐ看kàn得de懂dǒng这个zhège句子jùzi吗ma？

Can you understand this sentence?

二 V + 完 · Finish

V + 完 · to finish

完 wán shows that an action is completed or fully done.

我wǒ还hái没méi吃chī完wán饭fàn

I haven’t finished eating yet.

作业zuòyè太tài多duō了le，我wǒ写xiě不bu完wán

There’s too much homework. I can’t finish it.

你nǐ没méi吃chī完wán饭fàn，不bù可以kěyǐ看kàn电视diànshì

You can’t watch TV until you finish your meal.

这zhè本běn书shū我wǒ全部quánbù学xué完wán了le

I’ve finished studying this whole book.

你nǐ一个人yí ge rén做zuò得de完wán这些zhèxiē工作gōngzuò吗ma？

Can you finish all this work by yourself?

三 V + 得 / 不 + 了 · Able To

V + 得 / 不 + 了 · able to

了 liǎo is a special complement that only works in the potential form. It’s pronounced liǎo, not le!

	Actual	Actual (neg.)	Potential	Potential (neg.)
了 liǎo	❌ 吃了了	❌ 沒吃了没吃了	✅ 吃chī得de了liǎocan eat it	✅ 吃chī不bù不bu了liǎocan’t eat it

这zhè面miàn太tài辣là了le，我wǒ吃chī不bu了liǎo

These noodles are too spicy. I can’t eat them.

我wǒ忘wàng不bu了liǎoTiffany 老师lǎoshī，她tā教jiāo得de太tài好hǎo了le

I’ll never forget Teacher Tiffany. She taught so well.

路上lùshang那么nàme堵dǔ，你nǐ觉得juéde我们wǒmen晚餐wǎncān前qián到dào得de了liǎo吗ma？

The traffic is so bad. Do you think we can make it before dinner?

别bié担心dānxīn，才cái一yì瓶píng红酒hóngjiǔ，我wǒ一定yídìng喝hē得de了liǎo

Don’t worry, it’s only one bottle of wine. I can handle it.

老师lǎoshī教jiāo了le那么nàme多duō单词dāncí，你nǐ记jì得de了liǎo吗ma？

The teacher taught so many words. Can you remember them all?

不完 vs. 不了吃chī不bu了liǎo can mean “unable to” (too spicy, too hard) or “too much to finish.” 吃chī不bu完wán and 吃chī不bu了liǎo are similar, but 吃不完 focuses on finishing, while 吃不了 is about whether you’re able to at all.

四 Common Mistakes

❌ 我wǒ吃chī了le了le

✅ 我wǒ吃chī得de了liǎo / 我wǒ吃chī完wán了le

了 liǎo as a complement is only used with 得 or 不.

❌ 我wǒ沒méi没méi聽tīng听tīng懂dǒng了le

✅ 我wǒ沒méi没méi聽tīng听tīng懂dǒng

Don’t use 了 le with 沒 méi没 méi.

❌ 我wǒ寫xiě写xiě完wán不bù

✅ 我wǒ寫xiě写xiě不bù不bu完wán

不 goes between the verb and the complement.

五 Practice

Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like, or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck. Careful: some tiles are traps and are not needed!

Question 1 of 10

“I understood what you meant.”