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How to use result complements 住, 开, 出来 in Chinese

Verb + 住 (zhù) / 开 (kāi) / 出 (chū)(来 (lái))

住 (zhù), 开 (kāi), 出来 (chū lái) — result complements

HSK 5Complements

Rule structure

These result complements extend beyond literal meanings. 住 (zhù) can mean "hold, fix"; 开 (kāi) means "apart, open"; 出来 (chūlái) indicates detection or emergence. They combine with many verbs to form idiomatic expressions.

Examples

他抓住了机会。 / 她拉开了抽屉。 / 我认出他来了。

Tā zhuāzhù le jīhuì. / Tā lākāi le chōuti. / Wǒ rèn chū tā lái le.

He seized the opportunity. / She pulled the drawer open. / I recognized him.

Practice

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Characters

Words from this rule

住

zhù

To live, to reside

开

kāi

To open, to start; to drive (a car); to turn on

出

chū

To go out; (directional verb indicating outward movement)

来

lái

To come

他

tā

He

抓

zhuā

To grab, to catch

了

le

Particle (completed action or change of state)

机会

jīhuì

Opportunity

她

tā

She

拉

lā

To pull, to drag

抽屉

chōuti

Drawer

我

wǒ

I, me

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “result complements” in Chinese with 住, 开, 出来?

Use the structure: Verb + 住 (zhù) / 开 (kāi) / 出 (chū)(来 (lái)). For example: 他抓住了机会。 / 她拉开了抽屉。 / 我认出他来了。 — “He seized the opportunity. / She pulled the drawer open. / I recognized him”.

What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?

他抓住了机会。 / 她拉开了抽屉。 / 我认出他来了。 — “He seized the opportunity. / She pulled the drawer open. / I recognized him”.

Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?

This grammar rule is part of HSK 5.

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More HSK 5 grammar rules

坏了 — extremely, awfully

Verb / Adj. + 坏了 (huàile)

来 vs 去 — verbing around

Verb 1 + 来 (lái) + Verb 1 + 去 (qù)

得 — advanced degree complements

Adj. + 得 (de) + 很 (hěn) / 不得了 (bù de le) / 要命 (yàomìng) / 不行 (bùxíng)

得 / 不 — potential complements

Verb + 得 (de) / 不 (bù) + Result Complement

到 — tricky uses of 到

Verb + 到 (dào)

着 — result of an action

Verb + 着 (zháo)

了 — completed action with complement

Verb + Complement + 了 (le) + (Obj.)

万一 — what if

万一 (wànyī) + (Undesirable) Condition + 怎么办 (zěnme bàn)？