得 vs 到 (de vs dào): degree complement vs result complement
得 (de) is a marker that introduces a following complement describing the degree, manner, or extent of an action. 到 (dào) itself serves as a result complement meaning 'to reach' or 'to succeed in doing', and does not take a following complement. The key distinction is whether you need to add extra words after the verb (use 得) or the result is expressed by 到 itself.
Both 得 (de) and 到 (dào) can follow a verb to indicate the outcome or result of an action, but they serve different syntactic roles. 得 is a complement marker that must be followed by additional words (an adjective, verb phrase, or clause) describing degree, manner, or resulting state. 到 is itself a resultative complement that indicates successful reaching of a goal, target, or state; it does not need further description after it. For example, ‘他跑得很快’ (tā pǎo de hěn kuài) uses 得 to comment on speed, while ‘他跑到了终点’ (tā pǎo dào le zhōngdiǎn) uses 到 to state the goal was reached.
When to use each
Use 得 after a verb to introduce a complement that describes the degree, manner, or resulting condition of the action. This complement can be an adjective (e.g., 好, 快) or a longer phrase. It is commonly used to express how well or how much something is done.
得 cannot be used after verbs that already have a result complement (e.g., 到, 完) because those complements themselves specify a concrete result. The negation of a 得 complement is typically done by negating the verb before 得 with 不, e.g., 他跑得不快.
Use 到 after a verb to indicate that the action has successfully reached a target, goal, or state. It is itself a result complement and does not require any additional words after it. Common verbs include 看 (look), 找 (search), 听 (listen), 买 (buy), etc.
到 can also appear in the potential complement pattern V得/不到, meaning 'can/cannot reach'. In such cases, 得 is part of the potential form, not the degree marker. For example, 看得见 (can see) vs 看不见 (cannot see).
At a glance
| 得 | 到 | |
|---|---|---|
| Function | Introduces a following complement describing degree or manner | Itself forms a result complement meaning 'reach/attain' |
| Structure | V + 得 + complement (adjective, phrase, or clause) | V + 到 (+ object/particle, no extra complement) |
| Meaning focus | Emphasizes how the action is performed or its extent | Emphasizes that the action succeeded in reaching a target |
| Negation (direct) | 不 + V + 得 + complement (e.g., 他跑得不快) | V + 不 + 到 (e.g., 他找不到) |
| Can be followed by particle? | Yes, but the particle follows the complement, not 得 (e.g., 他跑得很快了) | Yes, often with 了 (e.g., 他看到了) |
Examples
- 得他跑得很快。Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.He runs very fast.Use 得 to describe the manner or degree after a verb.
- 得你吃得太多啦！Nǐ chī de tài duō la!You eat too much!
- 到我看到了那只猫。Wǒ kàn dào le nà zhī māo.I saw that cat (I looked and reached the cat).注意: 只 is pronounced zhī, not zhǐ.
- 到他买到了机票。Tā mǎi dào le jīpiào.He succeeded in buying the plane ticket.
- 得她说得很有道理。Tā shuō de hěn yǒu dàolǐ.She speaks very reasonably (lit. what she says makes sense).The complement after 得 can be a phrase, not just an adjective.
- 到我找了他三次都没找到。Wǒ zhǎo le tā sān cì dōu méi zhǎo dào.I looked for him three times but never found him.Negation of 到 uses 不到 (méi zhǎo dào is negative perfective 没 + 到).
Common mistakes
- Using 到 as a degree marker: e.g., '他跑到很快' (wrong; should use 得: '他跑得很快').
- Using 得 after a verb that already has a result complement: e.g., '他看到了得很快' (wrong; 到 already expresses result, no 得 needed).
- Omitting the complement after 得: e.g., '他跑得' (incomplete; must add a description like '很快').
- Confusing the potential complement pattern V得/不到 with the degree marker 得: e.g., '他看得到猫' (can see) is correct use of potential 到, not degree 得.
FAQ
- When do I use 得 vs 到 after a verb?
- Use 得 when you want to add a description of the action's degree or manner (e.g., '他吃得很慢' – he eats slowly). Use 到 when you want to say the action successfully reached a target or destination (e.g., '他吃到了蛋糕' – he succeeded in eating the cake).
- Can 得 and 到 be used together in the same verb phrase?
- Not in the same complement position. However, they can appear together in the potential form V得到 (can reach) – here 得 is the potential infix, not the degree marker. For example, '我看得到' (I can see it). This is a separate construction.
- How do I negate 得 and 到 complements?
- For 得, negate the verb with 不 before the verb and keep the same structure: '他不跑得快' becomes '他跑得不快' (he doesn't run fast). For 到, use 不到 after the verb: '他没找到' (he didn't find it) or '他找不到' (he cannot find it) for potential negation.