Degree complement: V + 得 + Adj
补语 / complements (程度补语)
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
Subject + Verb + 得 + (很) + Adj
To evaluate how an action is done (well, fast, badly…), Chinese adds 得 (de) + adjective after the verb: 他跑得很快 = he runs fast.
It's the counterpart of English manner adverbs ("fast", "well"), placed after the verb with 得.
Negative: negate the adjective, not the verb: 他跑得不快. Question: 他跑得快不快？ / 他跑得怎么样？
Examples
他跑得非常快。
Tā pǎo de fēicháng kuài.He runs very fast.
你说得很好！
Nǐ shuō de hěn hǎo!You speak very well!
我昨天睡得不太好。
Wǒ zuótiān shuì de bú tài hǎo.I didn't sleep very well yesterday.
她游得怎么样？
Tā yóu de zěnmeyàng?How well does she swim?
Common mistakes
✗ 他很快跑 (to evaluate) → ✓ 他跑得很快.
✗ 他不跑得快 → ✓ 他跑得不快.
Don't mix up 得 (complement), 的 (possessive) and 地 (manner, before the verb).