Verb phrasesHSK 5
Indicating negative impact with 害得
害得 (hàide) is a verb used in spoken Chinese to attribute a negative outcome to a preceding cause. Place the reason first, then 害得 followed by the unfortunate result. The construction always carries a blaming or complaining tone.
In casual speech, the 得 is sometimes omitted, leaving just 害, though the meaning and tone remain the same. This shorter form is common when the consequence is direct and the context is informal.
Structure
Reason + 害得 + Undesirable Result
the cause precedes 害得, and the consequence is always negative
Reason + 害 + Undesirable Result
the 得 can be omitted, especially in casual speech; meaning is unchanged
Examples
- 下午喝了两杯咖啡，害得我晚上睡不着。Xiàwǔ hē le liǎng bēi kāfēi, hàide wǒ wǎnshang shuì buzháo.I had two cups of coffee. It kept me from falling asleep at night.
- 我的护照丢了，害得我现在哪里也去不了。Wǒ de hùzhào diū le, hàide wǒ xiànzài nǎlǐ yě qù bùliǎo.I lost my passport, and now I can't go anywhere.
- 路上堵车，害得我差点错过飞机。Lùshang dǔchē, hàide wǒ chàdiǎn cuò guò fēijī.Traffic was really bad, and almost made me miss my flight.
- 他总是迟到，害大家在车站等了他半个小时。Tā zǒngshì chídào, hài dàjiā zài chēzhàn děng le tā bàn ge xiǎoshí.He's always late, and made everyone wait for him at the bus station for half an hour.
- 出门没买到菜，还害我丢了一百元钱。Chūmén méi mǎi dào cài, hái hài wǒ diū le yī bǎi yuán qián.I went out and didn't manage to buy any food, but even lost 100 RMB.