得 — saying how well something is done

Your friend sings at a party

• Your friend finishes a song and everyone claps. You want to praise how she sang, not just say that she sang.
• you你nǐto sing唱chàng(degree marker)得devery很hěnwell好hǎo！ — "You sang really well!"

Verb + (degree marker)得de + description

• (degree marker)得de (de) links an action to a comment on how it was done: 唱得chàng dévery很hěnwell好hǎo, sang well. very很hěn usually comes before the adjective, as in other descriptions.
• The comment describes the action's manner or result, not the person in general. he他tārun跑pǎo(degree marker)得devery很hěnfast快kuài says he runs fast.

he他tārun跑pǎo得devery很hěnfast快kuài。

Ask how something was done

• Ask with how about怎么样zěn me yàng: he他tāspeak说shuō(degree marker)得dehow about怎么样zěn me yàng？ — "How well does he speak?" Answer with the same pattern: he他tāspeak说shuō(degree marker)得devery很hěnwell好hǎo.
• Say it was not done well with not不bù before the adjective: I我wǒwrite写xiě(degree marker)得deno good不好bù hǎo。 — "I don't write well." The not不bù goes after (degree marker)得de, not before the verb.

I我wǒwrite写xiě得denot不bùwell好hǎo。

When the verb has an object

• Repeat the verb: she她tāspeak说shuōChinese汉语Hànyǔspeak说shuō(degree marker)得devery很hěnwell好hǎo。 — "She speaks Chinese very well." The first speak说shuō takes the object Chinese汉语Hànyǔ; the second speak说shuō takes (degree marker)得de.
• You can also leave out the first verb: she她tāChinese汉语Hànyǔspeak说shuō(degree marker)得devery很hěnwell好hǎo. Both are common; she她tāspeak说shuō(degree marker)得deChinese汉语Hànyǔvery很hěnwell好hǎo is wrong.

she她tāspeak说shuōChinese汉语Hànyǔspeak说shuō得devery很hěnwell好hǎo。

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