HSK 5
状态补语2：动词/形容词+得+短语
zhuàng tài bǔ yǔ 2 ： dòng cí / xíng róng cí + de + duǎn yǔ
Descriptive Complement 2: Verb/Adjective + 得 + Phrase
Explanation
This is the state complement (the element after a verb/adjective indicating the state or degree caused by the action/emotion). This type uses a whole phrase after 得 (de) to describe the result or degree, instead of just a single word.
verb / adjective + 得 (de) + phrase (a verb phrase or subject-predicate phrase) → "...to the point of...". The character 得 (de) here is a particle (a connecting function word with no independent meaning) linking the emotion part to the part describing the result. E.g. 难过得吃不下饭 = so sad one cannot eat.
When you want to describe an emotion/state so strong that it leads to a specific manifestation (so sad one cries, so angry one can't speak, so hot one gets a headache).
Vietnamese learners often confuse the character 得 (de, used to link a complement) with 地 (de, used for adverbials) or 的 (de, used for attributives) — in this pattern it must be 得; and they often omit 得, writing directly "难过吃不下饭", which is wrong.
Examples
He was so sad he couldn't eat.
She was so angry she couldn't get a word out.
She was so heartbroken she burst into tears.
I didn't eat this morning, so hungry my stomach hurts.
The room is so hot it gives people a headache.
The child won the championship, and the parents were so happy they couldn't stop grinning.
The first time I saw snow, I was so moved I both cried and laughed.
My daughter still hadn't come home in the middle of the night, and my mother was so anxious she paced back and forth in the room.
Tomorrow is our son's wedding, and the parents are so happy they're running around busily.
Practice
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Learn “状态补语2：动词/形容词+得+短语” effectively
The grammar point “状态补语2：动词/形容词+得+短语” (Descriptive Complement 2: Verb/Adjective + 得 + Phrase) is one of the key structures at HSK 5. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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