Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

Asking yes–no questions with directional verbs

19.6

19.5 The potential form of directional verbs

Like resultative verbs, most directional verbs also have a potential form. The potential is formed

by the inclusion of the potential infixes 得 de or 不 bu between the motion verb and the di-

rectional suffix.

Affirmative potential form

motion verb + 得 de + directional suffix

‘able to perform the motion in the specified direction’

拿得来/拿得來 nádelái ‘able to bring over’

那个东西你拿得来吗？

那個東西你拿得來嗎？

Nàge dōngxi nǐ nádelái ma?

Can you bring that thing over here?

坐得下 zuòdexià ‘able to seat’

我的车坐得下六个人。

我的車坐得下六個人。

Wǒ de chē zuòdexià liù gè rén.

My car can seat six people.

Negative potential form

motion verb + 不 bu + directional suffix

‘unable to perform the motion in the specified direction’

穿不上 chuānbushàng ‘unable to wear/put on’

那条裤子太小了。我穿不上。

那條褲子太小了。我穿不上。

Nà tiáo kùzi tài xiǎo le. Wi chuānbushàng.

Those slacks are too small. I can’t put them on.

别说了！我听不下去了。

别說了！我聽不下去了。

Bié shuō le! Wǒ tīng bù xiàqù le.

Don’t talk! I can’t listen anymore.

你的车太大了，肯定开不进去。

你的車太大了，肯定開不進去。

Nǐ de chē tài dà le, kěndìng kāi bù jìnqu.

Your car is too big. You certainly can’t drive it in.

C18.6, 32.2

19.6 Asking yes–no questions with directional verbs

To ask a yes–no question with 吗/嗎 ma about an action involving a directional verb, simply

place 吗/嗎 ma at the end of the sentence.

她把书都拿回图书馆去了吗？

她把書都拿回圖書館去了嗎？

Tā bǎ shū dōu náhuí túshūguǎn qù le ma?

Did she take all of the books back to the library?