…得不行
HSK 6- Complements
Structure (结构 jiégòu)
Meaning (意思 yìsi)
Used after adjectives or psychological verbs to express an extremely high degree, to the point of being unbearable.
Explanation (解释 jiěshì)
This structure is a type of degree complement, used to emphasize that a state has reached its extreme. 不行 here does not mean "not allowed" or "not okay," but carries the meaning of "extremely" or "unbearably." It can be used for both positive emotions (happy, excited) and negative ones (tired, hungry, in pain). Think of it as the equivalent of expressions like "to death" or "unbearably" in English.
Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)
- 我今天累得不行。Wǒ jīntiān lèi de bùxíng.
I'm exhausted today.
- 看到礼物，他高兴得不行。繁: 看到禮物，他高興得不行。Kàndào lǐwù, tā gāoxìng de bùxíng.
Upon seeing the gift, he was extremely happy.
- 我饿得不行了，快吃饭吧！繁: 我餓得不行了，快吃飯吧！Wǒ è de bùxíng le, kuài chīfàn ba!
I'm so hungry I can barely stand it, let's eat right away!
- 这只小狗可爱得不行。繁: 這隻小狗可愛得不行。Zhè zhī xiǎo gǒu kě'ài de bùxíng.
This little puppy is adorable beyond measure.
- 我的头疼得不行。繁: 我的頭疼得不行。Wǒ de tóu téng de bùxíng.
My head is pounding unbearably.
Common mistakes
- Wrong:我高兴不行。Correct:我高兴得不行。
The particle `得` must be used to connect an adjective with the degree complement `不行`.
- Wrong:他跑得不行。Correct:他累得不行。
得不行 typically describes a state or sensation (tired, hungry), not an action (running); to express running fast, use 跑得很快.