Level 2 · Elementary

How well? Verb + 得

Verb + 得 + (很) Adj.

To comment on HOW an action is done, Chinese uses 得 (de) after the verb: 他说得很好 "he speaks (it) very well", 她跑得很快 "she runs fast".

When there's an object, the verb repeats or the object moves up front: 他说中文说得很好 or 他中文说得很好. The pattern to burn in: verb + 得 + comment.

Examples

他说很好。
他說很好。
tā shuō de hěn hǎo
He speaks very well.
她跑很快。
tā pǎo de hěn kuài
She runs very fast.
你写真漂亮。
你寫真漂亮。
nǐ xiě de zhēn piào liang
You write really beautifully.
他汉字写很好。
他漢字寫很好。
tā hàn zì xiě de hěn hǎo
He writes Chinese characters very well.

Common mistakes

✗ 他说很好。
✓ 他说得很好。
The comment after a verb needs 得 to connect it.

Related grammar points

See it in a story

Read this pattern in context: Playing Ball Together · Lil Jon Gets Ready for the Day — free graded stories with tap-to-reveal pinyin and translations.

Grammar sticks when you read it in stories

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