得
Pattern
Verb + 得 + description
Key words
Core idea
Degree complement 得 comments on an action after the verb. It lets the speaker say how the action is done, how well it is done, or how strongly it reaches a result.
The verb is the anchor. 得 follows the verb, and the description follows 得.
Do not mix up the two de forms
Do not confuse 得 with 的 just because they often sound alike. 的 attaches material to nouns. 得 introduces a comment on a verb or action.
Verb-object warning
When the verb has an object, Mandarin often repeats the verb before 得. This avoids trying to put the object and the degree comment in the same slot.
The description after 得 can be short or expanded, but it should describe the performance or result of the action, not the noun.
Examples
他跑得很快。
Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.
He runs very fast.
得 introduces the description of the action.
你说得太小声了。
Nǐ shuō de tài xiǎoshēng le.
You are speaking too quietly.
她唱得很好。
Tā chàng de hěn hǎo.
She sings very well.
Common mistakes
Avoid
他得跑很快。
Use
他跑得很快。
得 comes after the verb it describes.
Avoid
她唱的很好。
Use
她唱得很好。
Use 得, not 的, for degree complements after verbs.
Seen in stories
The Expired Prize
她高兴得跳起舞来，心想最近运气真好，可以去吃大餐了。
She is so happy she starts dancing, thinking her luck has been great recently and she can go eat a big meal.
Hiking Elephant Mountain
虽然风景真的很美，可是小明累得坐在地上，连拿手机出来照相的力气都没有了。
Although the scenery was truly beautiful, Xiao Ming was so tired that he sat on the ground, having no strength even to take out his phone to take a picture.
The Fast Taxi
去机场的路上，司机开得非常快。
On the way to the airport, the driver drove very fast.
This structure (Complement of Degree) is used to describe how an action is performed. Here, 'kāi de kuài' means 'drives fast'.