Explanation usage of 得 and 地 [duplicate]

Question

Can someone explain me exactly when I have to use these two words? They are both pronunced "de", but I found some difficulties understanding why should I use 得 (or shouldn‘t) in some senteceses.

地 , to me, seems more like a word used to make another become an adverb, but I‘m not totally sure.

Answer 1

Chinese Grammar Info provides an excellent write up on the three distinct de particles. See the site for the full article.

The main points are:

(的) de as the possessor or causing the possessive function:

我的书

wǒ de shū

my book

这是你的书。

Zhè shì nǐ de shū.

This is your book.

(地) de/di as the ly suffix

慢慢地

mànmande

slowly

他很快地吃饭。

Tā hěn kuài de chīfàn.

He eats quickly.

(得) de as a potential complement

做得到

zuò de dào

can do

我只有戴眼镜的话才看得清楚。

Wǒ zhǐyǒu dài yǎnjìng dehuà cái kàn de qīngchu.

I can only see clearly if I wear my glasses.

UPDATES (per request in comments):

More on 得. The article further states that this version of de relates to two types of complements: potential complements (which indicate that the attached verb has potential to have the action happen) and degree complements (speaks to the degree/amount that a potential verb may happen).

Potential complement

听得懂

tīng de dǒng

can understand (from listening)

(and conversely)

听不懂

tīng bu dǒng

can’t understand (from listening)

Degree Complement

Note the basic structure where the verb is followed by a description that includes the degree complements; very well, badly, very tall.

(basic structure)

[verb] 得 [description]

(a few more samples)

你说得非常好。

Nǐ shuō de fēicháng hǎo.

You said it very well.

他做得不好。

Tā zuò dé bu hǎo.

He did it badly.

她长得很高。

Tā zhǎng de hěn gāo.

She has grown very tall.

Beyond it's use as a particle, the article states:

得 as dé When 得 is pronounced dé in second tone, it’s a verb meaning “to get” or “to acquire”.

得 as děi When 得 is pronounced děi in third tone, it’s a modal verb meaning “must” or “have to”.