Level 3 · Intermediate
Can or can't: Verb + 得/不 + result
Verb + 得 / 不 + Complement
Slip 得 or 不 between a verb and its result to say the result is reachable or not: 听得懂 "can understand (by listening)", 听不懂 "can't understand", 买不起 "can't afford". It's ability measured against a specific outcome.
This is usually more natural than 能: for "I can't understand", say 我听不懂, not 我不能听懂. Save 能 for circumstances and permission — 我今天不能来 "I can't come today".
Examples
你听得懂中文吗？
你聽得懂中文嗎？
nǐ tīng de dǒng zhōng wén ma
Can you understand (spoken) Chinese?
老师说得太快，我听不懂。
老師說得太快，我聽不懂。
lǎo shī shuō de tài kuài wǒ tīng bù dǒng
The teacher speaks too fast — I can't understand.
这个太贵了，我买不起。
這個太貴了，我買不起。
zhè ge tài guì le wǒ mǎi bù qǐ
This is too expensive — I can't afford it.
字太小了，我看不见。
字太小了，我看不見。
zì tài xiǎo le wǒ kàn bù jiàn
The characters are too small — I can't see them.
Common mistakes
✗ 我不能听懂。
✓ 我听不懂。
When ability hangs on a result, the 不 goes inside the verb + complement, not out front with 能.
Related grammar points
See it in a story
Read this pattern in context: Yu Gong Moves the Mountains — free graded stories with tap-to-reveal pinyin and translations.
