Verb + 得了 / 不了 (can / can't manage)
"Can / can't manage it"
- Verb + (degree marker)得(completed / change)了 / (as a resultative verb…不了 = "can / can't manage (to complete)".
- so much这么many多,I / me我variant of 吃吃(as a resultative verb…不了 = "that's so much, I can't finish it."
- The (completed / change)了 here is read liǎo, not le.
Verb + (degree marker)得(completed / change)了 / (as a resultative verb…不了
- (degree marker)得(completed / change)了 = able to manage; (as a resultative verb…不了 = unable to.
so这么much多,I我eat吃can't manage不了。
- variant of 吃吃(as a resultative verb…不了 = "(I) can't finish (it all)."
Explore
Correct or broken?
V得了 / V不了 sizes up whether the whole thing can be managed.
Practice
I can't finish this much: 这么多,我吃 ____。
Verb + 不了 = can't manage: 吃不了.
Practice
得了 means you CAN manage it.
Yes — 来得了 (can make it); 不了 = can't.
Recap
Key idea
- Verb + (degree marker)得(completed / change)了 / (as a resultative verb…不了 — can / can't manage (to complete)
- variant of 吃吃(as a resultative verb…不了 (can't finish) · to emerge (from a…来得(completed / change)了 (can make it)
- (completed / change)了 is read liǎo here (not the particle le)
Read the full reference: HSK 5 grammar — Complements.
Practice
How is 了 read in 吃不了?
Here 了 = liǎo (can / manage), not the particle le.