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Is it okay if I want to say 做完 (finish working)? I have come across 吃完 (finish eating). Is it possible to say finish [doing bla bla] by writing ...完?

... can be filled with 做 or 写, etc...

2 Answers 2

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Yeah totally.

KEY

finish (the action of the preceding verb)

Tuttle Learners

finish, end

电影什么时候完?

Diànyǐng shénme shíhou wán?

When will the movie end?

吃完

chīwán

finish eating, eat up

我吃完饭就去开会。

Wǒ chīwán fàn jiù qù kāihuì.

I'm going to a meeting as soon as I finish my meal.

看完

kànwán

finish reading/watching

我昨天看完电视已经十二点了。

Wǒ zuótiān kànwán diànshì yǐjīng shí'èr diǎn le.

It was already twelve o'clock when I finished watching TV last night.

做完

zuòwán

finish doing

你什么时候可以做完作业?

Nǐ shénme shíhou kěyǐ zuòwán zuòyè?

When can you finish your homework?

用完

yòngwán

use up

我的钱用完了, 我要到银行去取钱。

Wǒ de qián yòngwán le, wǒ yào dào yínháng qu qǔ qián.

I've used up my money. I'll go to the bank to get some cash.

Just add it to the end of any verb.

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If the verb refers to some actions which last for a very short period of time, e.g. sneezing, we do not use "完" to indicate the completion.

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  • yes, i can understand what did you mean
    – Agoeng Liu
    Jul 11, 2014 at 8:40
  • Sure you do, if the sneezing continues for a duration of time: 上午打喷嚏玩
    – user4452
    Jul 11, 2014 at 14:43
  • Or if it's someone else and you want to ask if they are finished sneezing or not: 你打喷嚏打完了没有?
    – Mou某
    Jul 12, 2014 at 2:03
  • But then you are not talking about a single sneeze. You are referring to someone who keeps sneezing and you ask if he still feels like sneezing.
    – Henry HO
    Jul 13, 2014 at 2:49
  • You can use 完 even with momentary actions, but it's uncommon and sometimes quite strange. 「小孩儿碰完头就开始哭泣了」 is grammatical, but odd. Makes it sound like the kid is deliberately (and repeatedly) bumping his head on something. Which shows what I think is a more relevant limitation: 完 is not used with involuntary or non-agentive verbs. 「我要完了」, for example only means “I want to finish”, not “I’ve finished wanting”: the involuntary act of 要 cannot be telicised into having an ending point. And of course the ultimate involuntary: the copula. 「是完」 is downright ungrammatical. Jul 14, 2014 at 21:16

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