reSuLTATIve verbS
18.3- 开/開 kāi ‘open, separate, (move) away’
This suffix follows a limited number of action verbs whose meanings convey opening up or
separation. The most common of these are presented here.
打开/打開 dǎkāi ‘open’
开开/開開 kāikāi ‘open’
拿開/拿開 nákāi ‘take away’
推开/推開 tuīkāi ‘push open/away’
离开/離開 líkāi ‘separate’18.3.2 Suffixes that indicate conclusion
- 完 wán ‘finish, complete, end’
This suffix follows open-ended action verbs. It indicates that the subject has concluded perform-
ing the action.
吃完 chīwán ‘finish eating’
唱完 chàngwán ‘finish singing’
看完 kànwán ‘finish reading’
写完/寫完 xiěwán ‘finish writing’
用完 yòngwán ‘use up’
做完 zuòwán ‘finish doing’- 好 hǎo ‘satisfaction, completion’
This suffix follows open-ended action verbs. It indicates that the subject has performed the
action and reached a successful conclusion.
做好 zuòhǎo ‘do something and reach the desired conclusion’
预备好/預備好 yùbèihǎo ‘finish satisfactory preparations’
修理好 xiūlǐhǎo ‘fix successfully’
商量好 shānglianghǎo ‘reach an agreement’- 住 zhù ‘hold on, constrain’
This suffix follows change-of-state action verbs that have resulting states.
站住 zhànzhù ‘stand still’
停住 tíngzhù ‘stop’
抓住 zhuāzhù ‘grab onto, catch’
管住 guǎnzhù ‘control’
记住/記住 jìzhù ‘remember’
拿住 názhù ‘hold on’- 掉 diào ‘drop, fall, lose’
This suffix follows action verbs and change-of-state verbs that have no resulting state, that is,
verbs for which, once the action is over, there is nothing left. It reinforces the completion and
finality of the action.
忘掉 wàngdiào ‘forget’
死掉 sǐdiào ‘die’
甩掉 shuǎidiào ‘throw off, get rid of’
坏掉/壞掉 huàidiào ‘ruin’
卖掉/賣掉 màidiào ‘sell out’
扔掉 rēngdiào ‘throw away’