• Last week, we have learnt about the structural particles 得 （ de ） which acts as degree complement. Link here.
• Today we are going to learn the particle 得 with potential complement.
• 得 can be inserted between a verb and its complement to express possibility or capability
  

  Sentence pattern:

  Subject  +  Verb +  得  +  Potential Complement

  Example:

  我拿得动。(I can carry it.)

2. 得 + Potential Complements

• The potential complement indicates whether or not something can happen, or someone has the ability to do something. As the name suggests, it’s all about the potential of something.
  

  Example:

  I can read (and understand) Chinese.

  Subject	Verb	Structural Particle	Potential Complement	Sound
  我	看	得	懂中文
  wǒ	kàn	de	dǒng zhōng wén
  I	read	particle	understand Chinese

• This sentence is not about whether or not you have read some Chinese, it is about whether you understand it. It describes your ability in general; your potential to read Chinese.
• Example:
  

  I am able to finish writing it.

  Subject	Adjectvie	Structural Particle	Potential Complement	Sound
  我	写	得	完
  wǒ	xiě	de	wán
  I	write	particle	finish

• Only the positive form of the potential complement uses 得. In the negative form, 得 is replaced by 不.
  

  Example:

  我看不懂中文。 ( I can’t read (and understand) Chinese. )

  Example:

  我写不完。 ( I am not able to finish writing. )

• The ” 得 + Potential Complements ” sentence pattern  often matches up with the English structure ‘… able to …’ .
• As exercise, try to make a few sentences with ” 得 + Potential Complement ” sentence structure at comment section.