PMW Translation #31: Result Complements (Part 1)
🌀 Pearls of Mandarin Worksheet: Translation #31
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Today, we’re picking up right where we left off two weeks ago. I’ll give you a quick refresher on the last lesson to get everyone back up to speed, and then we’ll dive into some new exercises to reinforce what we’ve learned.
Recap of CGG #32 lesson
Purpose: Result complements describe the outcome of an action, adding clarity about what happened as a result of the verb.
Common Structure:
Affirmative: [Subject] + [Verb] + [Result Complement] + 了 + [Object]
Negative: [Subject] + 没 + [Verb] + [Result Complement] + [Object]
Key Complements:
完 (wán): Finished/Completed (e.g., 看完, “to finish reading”)
到 (dào): Reached/Achieved (e.g., 找到, “to find”)
见 (jiàn): Successfully Felt (e.g., 看见, “to see clearly”)
好 (hǎo): Done Well/Completed (e.g., 写好, “to finish writing”)
懂 (dǒng): Understood (e.g., 听懂, “to understand from listening”)
会 (huì): Learned/Mastered (e.g., 学会, “to learn”)
走 (zǒu): Moved Away/Left (e.g., 扔走, “to throw away”)
错 (cuò): Mistaken (e.g., 写错, “to write incorrectly”)
坏 (huài): Broken/Spoiled (e.g., 打坏, “to break”)
饱 (bǎo): Full (After Eating) (e.g., 吃饱, “to eat until full”)
掉 (diào): Fallen/Dropped/Lost (e.g., 掉落, “to drop”)
Key Points to Remember:
Use 了 to show that the action and its result are completed.
Use 没 (not 不) when negating the result to indicate it didn’t happen.
Choose the Right Complement: Know the difference between 到 (general completion) and 见 (successful perception).
Consider the 把 Construction to emphasize the object affected by the action.
Today’s Exercises
Translate these English sentences into Mandarin, using the appropriate result complements:
We finished building the sandcastle.
She finally found a spot to sit by the pool.
Did you hear the sound of the waves?
He learned how to snorkel during this trip.
🌀 Translation #1
We finished building the sandcastle.
To translate this sentence, we need to emphasize both the completion of the action (building) and the affected object (the sandcastle).
We want to express that the action of “building” has been completed, which makes 完 (wán) the appropriate result complement. The result complement 完 means “finished” or “completed,” indicating that the action has been carried out to its end.
The 把 construction is particularly useful when we want to emphasize the object of an action — in this case, “the sandcastle.”
把 + [Object] + [Verb] + [Result Complement] + 了
The structure we will use follows this pattern:
Subject: “We” is translated to 我们 (wǒmen).
把: This particle marks the direct object and indicates that it is the recipient of the action’s result. It helps to highlight what happens to “the sandcastle.”
Read CGG #21 to review the 把 construction.
Object: “The sandcastle” is translated as 沙堡 (shābǎo). 沙 (shā) means “sand,” and 堡 (bǎo) means “castle.”
Verb: “Building” in the sense of constructing is translated to 造 (zào).
Result Complement: The word 完 (wán) is the result complement here, indicating that the action of building has been completed.
了: This particle is used after the verb and its complement to indicate that the action has been completed.
Recap
我们把沙堡造完了。
我们 / 把 / 沙堡 / 造 / 完 / 了。
wǒmen bǎ shābǎo zào wán le
We finished building the sandcastle.
We / (particle 把 introducing the object) / sandcastle / to build / (result complement 完 indicating completed action) / (particle 了 indicating completed action).
Let’s practice the sentences with my audio recordings:
Slow speed:
Normal speed:
🌀 Translation #2
She finally found a spot to sit by the pool.
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