reSuLTATIve verbS
18.6那个山上有一个人，你看得見吗？
那個山上有一個人，你看得見嗎？
Nèige shānshàng yǒu yī gè rén, nǐ kàndejiàn ma?
There is a person on that mountain. Can you see him?那个孩子很小，离得开母亲吗？
那個孩子很小，離得開母親嗎？
Nèige háizi hěn xiǎo, lídekāi mǔqin ma?
That child is very young. Can he be separated from his mother?
To ask a verb-not-verb yes–no question involving a resultative verb in potential form, state the
affirmative potential form of the resultative verb followed by the negative potential form:你听得见听不见他说的话？
你聽得見聽不見他說的話？
Nǐ tīngdejian tīngbujiàn tā shuō de huà?
Are you able or not able to hear what he said?
老师说的话，你记得住记不住？
老師說的話，你記得住記不住？
Lǎoshi shuō de huà, nǐ jìdezhù jìbuzhù?
Can you remember what the teacher said?C32.4.318.6.2 resultative suffixes that only occur in the potential form
The following resultative suffixes only occur in the potential form.- 得了 deliǎo ‘able to, able to finish the action’/-不了 buliǎo ‘unable to, unable to finish the
action.’ These are often called the potential suffixes. They can be used with any activity verb.
Here are examples.
你做了这么多菜，我怎么吃得了？
你做了這麽多菜，我怎麽吃得了？
Nǐ zuòle zhème duō cài, wǒ zěnme chīdeliǎo?
You made so much food. How am I going to finish it?
我牙疼，现在吃不了东西。
我牙疼，現在吃不了東西。
Wǒ yá téng, xiànzài chībuliǎo dōngxi.
My tooth aches. I can’t eat anything right now.他的坏习惯永远也改不了了。
他的壞習慣永遠也改不了了。
Tā de huài xíguàn yǒngyuǎn yě gǎibuliǎo le.
He will never be able to change his bad habits.- 得起 deqǐ ‘afford to’/-不起 buqǐ ‘unable to afford to.’ These suffixes can be used with any
activity verb that involves paying for something. Here are examples.
Q: 你买得起买不起那个汽车？
你買得起買不起那個汽車？
Nǐ mǎideqǐ mǎibuqǐ nèige qìchē?
Can you afford to buy that car?
A: 我买不起，可是我爸爸买得起。
我買不起，可是我爸爸買得起。
Wǒ mǎibuqǐ, kěshi wǒ bàba mǎideqǐ.
I cannot afford it, but my father can.