Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

resultative suffixes with special meanings or properties

32.5

32.4.3 asking about the ability to perform an action

To ask about the ability of a subject to perform an action, form a yes–no question with 吗/嗎 ma

or with the verb-not-verb structure.

• 吗/嗎 ma

你吃得了这么多菜吗？

你吃得了這麽多菜嗎？

Nǐ chīdeliǎo zhème duō cài ma?

Are you able to eat this many dishes?

• Verb-not-verb structure: verb 得了 deliǎo verb 不了 bùliǎo

他做得了做不了这件事情？

他做得了做不了這件事情？

Tā zuòdeliǎo zuòbuliǎo zhè jiàn shìqing?

Is he able to take care of this matter or not?

这么多菜，你吃得了吃不了？

這麽多菜，你吃得了吃不了？

Zhème duō cài, nǐ chīdeliǎo chībuliǎo?

This many dishes, are you able to eat them or not?

To answer ‘yes,’ say verb 得了 deliǎo:

做得了。

Zuòdeliǎo.

He can do it.

吃得了。

Chīdéliǎo.

I can eat them.

To answer ‘no,’ say verb 不了 buliǎo:

做不了。

Zuòbuliǎo.

He can’t do it.

吃不了。

Chībuliǎo.

I can’t eat them.

C18.6.1

32.5 Resultative suffixes with special meanings or properties

• 掉 diào
  掉 diào indicates completion, and often also carries negative connotations for the speaker.
  It may serve as a suffix on action verbs or change-of-state action verbs in which the action does
  not bring about a resulting state. It does not occur in the potential form.

甩掉 shuǎidiào ‘to throw away, to discard’

他把那个孩子甩掉不管了。

他把那個孩子甩掉不管了。

Tā bǎ nàge háizi shuǎidiào bù guǎn le.

He abandoned that child.