18 resultative verbs
18.1 Structure of resultative verbs
Resultative verbs consist of an action verb ‘head’ and a resultative suffix:
action verb + resultative suffix
For example, the action verb 听/聽 tīng ‘listen’ + the resultative suffix 见/見 jiàn ‘perceive’
form the resultative verb 听见/聽見 tīngjiàn ‘hear.’ ‘Listen’ and ‘hear’ are related in mean-
ing. ‘Listen’ is an open-ended action. ‘Hear’ is the perception of sounds that results from listen-
ing. English typically uses two different verbs to express actions and their results or conclusions.
Mandarin uses the same verb for both, adding a resultative suffix to the action to indicate result
or conclusion.
Aspect markers occur after the resultative suffix and never between the action verb head and
the suffix. For example, to indicate that an action occurred and reached a particular conclusion
or result, add perfective 了 le to the end of the resultative verb, and not between the action
verb and the resultative suffix.
Say this Not this
他写完了功课。 *他写了完功课。
他寫完了功課。 他寫了完功課。
Tā xiěwánle gōngkè. Tā xiělewán gōngkè.
He finished doing (writing) his homework.
C13, 17
Similarly, when indicating that an action did not reach a particular result or conclusion, the
resultative verb as a whole is negated with 没/沒 méi ‘not.’ 没/沒 méi can only occur at the
beginning of a resultative verb, and may never occur between the action verb and resultative
suffix.
Say this Not this
我从来没写错过那个字。 *我从来写没错过那个字。
我從來沒寫錯過那個字。 我從來寫沒錯過那個字。
Wǒ cónglái méi xiěcuòguo nàge zì. Wǒ cónglái xiě méi cuòguo nàge zì.
I have never written that character incorrectly.
18.2 Action verb heads
The action verb head may be either an open-ended action verb or a change-of-state action verb.
Open-ended action verbs refer to actions that have duration and can be performed for a period
of time. They include 说/說 shuō ‘speak,’ 写/寫 xiě ‘write,’ 吃 chī ‘eat,’ 听/聽 tīng ‘listen,’
唱 chàng ‘sing,’ 睡 shuì ‘sleep,’ and many other verbs. Their meanings do not entail the
completion or result of the action. For example, the open-ended action verb 找 zhǎo means
