terrible 着 and 得

[Guest AlexF]

I found this characters "着" and "得" has a terribly lotsa meanings...

I will be very grateful if someone will post here some easy sentences or phrases, containing those characters (not both of them in one sentence, one-by-one) with short english translation.

I hope looking at this in some context will help.

Thank you very much in advance.

[shibo77]

着zhuo2 (verb)

1. apply, use; "我给你着色. Wo2 gei2 ni3 zhuo2 se4. -I apply colour to you (probably one's face)."

2. touch, to come into contact (with); "飞机着落了. Fei1 ji1 zhuo2 luo4 le5. -The airplane has landed(has come into contact with the ground)."

3.wear; "我穿着整齐. Wo3 chuan1 zhuo2 zheng3 qi2. -I wear (my attire) neatly. "

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着zhao2 (verb)

1. touch; "不要着地! Bu2 yao4 zhao2 di4! -Do not (let it) touch the ground!"

2. feel, catch; "我着凉了. Wo3 zhao2 liang2 le5. -I have caught a cold."

3. burn; "你在着火! Ni3 zai4 zhao2 huo3! -You are on fire! (You are burning!)"

4. used after a verb to indicate accomplishment or result; "我够着了! Wo3 gou4 zhao2 le5! -I have reached it! (accomplished the task of reaching it)"

5. fall, asleep; "他睡着了. Ta1 shui4 zhao2 le5. -He/She has fallen asleep."

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着zhao1 (noun)

1. a move in chess; "看我这着! Kan4 wo3 zhei4 zhao1! -Observe my/this move (in chess)!"

2. trick; "不要玩花着! Bu2 yao4 wan2 hua1 zhao1! -Do not play tricks (with me)!" ("着" here may also be written as "招" in "不要玩花招!" with nearly the same meaning.)

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着zhe5 (particle)

1. indicates an action in progress; "我走着. Wo2 zou3 zhe5. -I am walking."

2. stressing the tone in an imperative sentence; "你听着! Ni3 ting1 zhe5! -You (just) listen!"

3. used after a verb to form a preposition; "我朝着东走. Wo3 chao2 zhe5 dong1 zou3. -I walk(ed) towards the east."

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得de2 (verb)

1. get, gain, obtain; "我取得了经验. Wo2 qu3 de2 le5 jing1 yan4. -I have gained experience(s)."

2.be finished, be ready; "饭得了. Fan4 de2 le5. -The meal is finished. (ready, cooked, done)"

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得dei3 (verb)

1. need; "起码得百八十的... Qi2 ma2 dei3 bai3 ba1 shi2 de5... It will cost (need) at least an arm and a leg..."

2. must, have to; "我得走了. Wo2 dei2 zou3 le5. -I must to go(be leaving)."

3. will be sure to; "你得晚了! Ni2 dei2 wan3 le5! -You will be late for sure!"

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得de5 (particle)

1. used between a verb or an adjective and its complement to indicate result, possibility or degree; "你跑得快. Ni2 pao3 de5 kuai4. -You run fast! (Chinese requires a particle in between the modifier and the modified, 得de5 is used as 'verb+得de5+modifier')"

2. used after certaine verbs to indicate possibility; "说不得! Shuo1 bu4 de5! -(You, One) can not say (something like) this!"

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-Shibo

[Guest AlexF]

Thanks a lot!

Very helpful, but some questions arise:

1. As i can see, 了 can be used for indicating new situation and for indicating completed action. How this situations can be distinguished without confusion?

2. concerning 得 děi - you wrote:

>2. must, have to; "我得走了. Wo2 dei2 zou3 le5. -I must to go(be leaving)."

>3. will be sure to; "你得晚了! Ni2 dei2 wan3 le5! -You will be late for sure!"

How to say "you must be late for sure!" (let's imagine this is the reasonable situation). Maybe "Must" here should be expressed with another character in order not to confuse?

And, from other hand, how to write/say the phrase "I am leaving for sure", say, when i try to finish somebody's persuasions?

[xuechengfeng]

"You must be late for sure."

Sounds very awkward, at least in English.

[berylchan]

You must be late for sure. : 你肯定（会）迟到！/ 你一定（会）迟到！

[Guest AlexF]

there may be such situation when somebody will need to be late for sure

I don't think it's too awkward, but this sample was just to understand how chinese can say.

So what about 了? Is there any rule to distinguish where it is using to indicate new situation or it is indicating completed action? Or maybe from context only?

[shibo77]

Hey! Sorry that I couldn't respond earlier.

There is Altair's explanation here, about the usage of 了le5 when it is with 得de5:

http://www.chinese-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2253

了 le5

1. (particle) used after a verb or adjective to indicate completion of work or change;

"我看了. Wo3 kan4 le5. -I have seen (it). / I saw (it). "

2. (modal particle) placed at the end of a sentence to indicate a change;

"逵思特当上国家总理了! Kui2 si1 te3 dang1 shang4 guo2 jia1 zong2 li3 le5! -Quest has become the Prime Minister!"

3. (particle) used at the end of a sentence to indicate advice/command;

"走了! Zou3 le5! -Let's go!"

了(瞭traditional) liao3

1. (verb) to know, to understand; "我了解. Wo2 liao3 jie5. -I understand. (I see.)"

2. (verb) to end, to solve; "这事了了. Zhei4 shi4 liao3 le5. -This problem/situation is done for(has ended)."

3. (particle) used after a verb as a complement to 得de5 and 不bu4 to indicate possibility; "他真了不起! Ta1 zhen1 liao3 bu4 qi3! -He/She is very terrific!"

了/瞭both are used in the simplified (瞭traditional) liao4

1. (verb) watch, look into the distance from a height; "我从山顶上往远处(瞭/了)望. Wo3 cong2 shan1 ding3 shang5 wang3 yuan3 chu4 liao4 wang4. -Atop a mountain, I look towards the distance."

In summary:

If it is a modal particle to indicate change(s), then it is at the end of the sentence/clause.

Red 了 is at the end of the green sentence/clause.

"我看新闻了! I am going to watch the news now.(a change from doing something else)"

If it is a particle to indicate completion of an action, then it immediately follows the verb(the action).

Red 了 follows green verb "看 -to see".

"我看了新闻. I have seen the news."

-Shibo