<p>看見 is the verb 看 with its <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/result_complement" rel="nofollow noreferrer">result complement</a> 見 (not only look but actually look and see)</p>
<p>不 between the verb and its result complement is a potential particle that indicates able or unable. There are only two potential particles and they are 得(can) and 不(cannot)</p>
<p>看見 = see</p>
<p>看得見 = can see</p>
<p>看不見 = can't see</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-05-01T05:07:42.507Z
It is interesting that there are no 看得見, 看不見 in your link.
PdotWang
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-05-01T06:43:27.230Z
@PdotWang The link is only about "result complement". The function of "potential particle" is another grammar element. 看得見 and 看不見 are a combination of the two elements. [v]+ [result complement] --> [v]+[potential particle]+[result complement]
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-29T03:36:39.910Z
2023-04-29T03:36:39.910Z
Tang Ho
<p>If you understand the phrase in the quote (x得x), then x不z is the opposite of it.</p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>Q:</strong> 看不&quot;看得見&quot;? <strong>A:</strong> 看不見.</p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>Q:</strong> 聽不&quot;聽得到&quot;? <strong>A:</strong> 聽不到.</p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>Q:</strong> 買不&quot;買得起&quot;? <strong>A:</strong> 買不起.</p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>Q:</strong> 讀不&quot;讀得懂&quot;? <strong>A:</strong> 讀不懂.</p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>Q:</strong> 說不&quot;說得清&quot;? <strong>A:</strong> 說不清.</p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>Q:</strong> 記不&quot;記得住&quot;? <strong>A:</strong> 記不住.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>You can use the same pattern and make questions for 看待 and 读书 yourself to see whether they make sense or not. No, they don't.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-29T02:52:43.370Z
In 跑得快, 快 is an adverb. What do you think about 看得見? Is 見 an adverb or complement？
PdotWang
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-29T03:42:39.537Z
@PdotWang In 跑得快, 快 is an adverb describing the action of running. In 看得見, 見 is the result of 看. Please see my answer to the question.
monalisa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-29T02:30:59.783Z
2023-04-29T02:30:59.783Z
r13
<p>Not all compound verbs are the same. The ones that you can stick a 不 in between are Resultative compounds, which is a Verb + its Result.</p>
<p>看 = look</p>
<p>看见 = see, perceive</p>
<p>读 = read</p>
<p>读懂 = understand what you read</p>
<p>It is possible to look, but not see or perceive anything. Likewise, one can read, but not understand. The second part of the verb tells you the result of the verb.</p>
<p>看不见 = look and not see (unable to see)</p>
<p>读不懂 = read and not understand (unable to understand what one is reading)</p>
<p>Other common examples would be:</p>
<p>找 = look for</p>
<p>找到 = find</p>
<p>吃 = eat</p>
<p>吃飽 = eat and be satisfied</p>
<p>Your other examples are other types of compound verbs, not V + Result, and therefore make no sense when a 不 is put in the middle.</p>
<p>看 = look at</p>
<p>待 = behave towards</p>
<p>看待 = compound verb meaning to treat (somebody) or to consider (a situation)</p>
<p>读 = read</p>
<p>书 = book</p>
<p>读书 = is a Verb-Object meaning to read, or study</p>
<p>Other examples of common V-O compounds are:</p>
<p>吃飯 = eat (rice)</p>
<p>唱歌 = sing (a song)</p>
<p>跳舞 = dance (a dance)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-29T14:32:46.040Z
Worth noting that this is using the Li & Thompson-esque definition of ‘resultative verb compound’ (RVC), which is different from a ‘resultative complement’ as described in many other grammars. L&T subsume verbs with directional complements as a subtype of resultative compounds, whereas others treat them as separate types. Potential complements can be generated from both resultative and directional complements, i.e., the whole of L&T’s ‘resultative verb compound’ group.
Janus Bahs Jacquet
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-29T03:34:01.213Z
2023-04-29T03:34:01.213Z
monalisa
<p>For some Chinese words, such as 看见， we can say 看不见. But for 看待， we can not say 看不待. Similarly, we can say 读懂, 读不懂, but not 读书, 读不书.</p>
<p>What is the grammar rule for those words?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-29T21:03:25.547Z
At least in the examples you've given, x不x can be used / is used to express the fact that "one can't ...", and you can't use the pattern where "can't" doesn't make sense. (Btw, for 读书 there's 读不起书 which means "can't afford to study"...)
Tom Yan
<grammar>
What kind of grammar is this? Such as 看不见，听不到，买不起，说不清，读不懂，记不住？
# What kind of grammar is this? Such as 看不见，听不到，买不起，说不清，读不懂，记不住？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-04-28)

For some Chinese words, such as 看见， we can say 看不见. But for 看待， we can not say 看不待. Similarly, we can say 读懂, 读不懂, but not 读书, 读不书.

What is the grammar rule for those words?

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: At least in the examples you've given, x不x can be used / is used to express the fact that "one can't ...", and you can't use the pattern where "can't" doesn't make sense. (Btw, for 读书 there's 读不起书 which means "can't afford to study"...)  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2023-04-29. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

Not all compound verbs are the same. The ones that you can stick a 不 in between are Resultative compounds, which is a Verb + its Result.

看 = look

看见 = see, perceive

读 = read

读懂 = understand what you read

It is possible to look, but not see or perceive anything. Likewise, one can read, but not understand. The second part of the verb tells you the result of the verb.

看不见 = look and not see (unable to see)

读不懂 = read and not understand (unable to understand what one is reading)

Other common examples would be:

找 = look for

找到 = find

吃 = eat

吃飽 = eat and be satisfied

Your other examples are other types of compound verbs, not V + Result, and therefore make no sense when a 不 is put in the middle.

看 = look at

待 = behave towards

看待 = compound verb meaning to treat (somebody) or to consider (a situation)

读 = read

书 = book

读书 = is a Verb-Object meaning to read, or study

Other examples of common V-O compounds are:

吃飯 = eat (rice)

唱歌 = sing (a song)

跳舞 = dance (a dance)

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Worth noting that this is using the Li & Thompson-esque definition of ‘resultative verb compound’ (RVC), which is different from a ‘resultative complement’ as described in many other grammars. L&T subsume verbs with directional complements as a subtype of resultative compounds, whereas others treat them as separate types. Potential complements can be generated from both resultative and directional complements, i.e., the whole of L&T’s ‘resultative verb compound’ group.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2023-04-29. Score: 3

看見 is the verb 看 with its [result complement](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/result_complement) 見 (not only look but actually look and see)

不 between the verb and its result complement is a potential particle that indicates able or unable. There are only two potential particles and they are 得(can) and 不(cannot)

看見 = see

看得見 = can see

看不見 = can't see

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: It is interesting that there are no 看得見, 看不見 in your link.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 The link is only about "result complement". The function of "potential particle" is another grammar element. 看得見 and 看不見 are a combination of the two elements. [v]+ [result complement] --> [v]+[potential particle]+[result complement]  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2023-04-29. Score: 1

If you understand the phrase in the quote (x得x), then x不z is the opposite of it.

* **Q:** 看不"看得見"? **A:** 看不見.
* **Q:** 聽不"聽得到"? **A:** 聽不到.
* **Q:** 買不"買得起"? **A:** 買不起.
* **Q:** 讀不"讀得懂"? **A:** 讀不懂.
* **Q:** 說不"說得清"? **A:** 說不清.
* **Q:** 記不"記得住"? **A:** 記不住.

You can use the same pattern and make questions for 看待 and 读书 yourself to see whether they make sense or not. No, they don't.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: In 跑得快, 快 is an adverb. What do you think about 看得見? Is 見 an adverb or complement？  
> **username_4**: @username_0 In 跑得快, 快 is an adverb describing the action of running. In 看得見, 見 is the result of 看. Please see my answer to the question.  

---

