Result Complement 光 (guāng): All Gone!
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use {光|guāng} after a verb to show that an action has completely exhausted or finished the object.
- Attach {光|guāng} directly to the verb: {吃光|chī guāng} (eat all up).
- Use {了|le} after {光|guāng} to indicate completion: {卖光了|mài guāng le} (sold out).
- Use {没|méi} or {没有|méiyǒu} before the verb for negation: {没吃光|méi chī guāng} (not eaten all up).
Overview
The result complement 光 (guāng) is a cornerstone of expressing total depletion in Mandarin. While a beginner might learn 完 (wán) to say they've "finished" something, 光 (guāng) elevates this concept to a more absolute state: "all gone," "used up," or "completely bare." It signifies that as a result of the verb's action, the object has been entirely exhausted, leaving nothing behind.
Imagine you have finished eating dinner. If you say 我吃完饭了 (wǒ chīwán fàn le), it simply means the activity of eating is complete. You might be full, or you might have just stopped eating, with food still remaining on the plate.
However, if you say 我吃光饭了 (wǒ chīguāng fàn le), the meaning is unequivocal: you have eaten every last grain of rice. The plate is clean, the resource is gone.
The character 光 (guāng) literally means "light" or a "ray of light." Its evolution into a result complement stems from the visual metaphor of light revealing everything, leaving no shadows or hidden parts. This idea extends to "bareness" or "emptiness." An object that is 光 (guāng) is unobscured, clean, and ultimately, empty. Understanding this conceptual link—from "light" to "bare" to "all gone"—is the key to mastering its usage.
It is not just about an action ending; it is about the total disappearance of the object that the action affects.
How This Grammar Works
光 (guāng) functions as a result complement (结果补语, jiéguǒ bǔyǔ). In Chinese grammar, verbs often describe an action in progress, but they don't inherently contain the result of that action. Result complements are suffixes attached directly to a verb to specify the outcome or the state change that the verb causes.光 (guāng) is attached to a verb, it signals that the action has led to the result of total consumption or exhaustion. The verb must be one that can logically "deplete" a quantifiable or finite object. This verb-complement pairing creates a new, more specific verb compound.花 (huā), "to spend." By itself, it is an open-ended action. But when paired with 光 (guāng), its result is fixed:花(huā): to spend (action)光(guāng): bare, empty, all gone (result)花光(huāguāng): to spend until all money is gone (action + result)
光 (guāng), or "empty." For example, 用光了我的耐心 (yòngguāng le wǒ de nàixīn) means "(someone) used up all my patience." Here, patience is treated as a finite resource that has been completely depleted by the action of 用 (yòng), "to use."听光 (tīng guāng) music, because listening does not deplete the song itself. You can, however, 忘光 (wàngguāng) your knowledge, treating memories as a resource that can completely vanish.Formation Pattern
光 (guāng) follows a strict and consistent verb-complement structure. It attaches directly to the verb without any intervening particles. The most common patterns involve a direct object, the 把 (bǎ) construction, and the passive 被 (bèi) construction.
光 + (Object)
了 (le) is almost always used to indicate the completed nature of the action.
Subject + Verb + 光 (guāng) + 了 (le) + (Object) |
他花光了所有的钱。 (Tā huāguāng le suǒyǒu de qián.) | He spent all the money. |
我们吃光了冰箱里的菜。 (Wǒmen chīguāng le bīngxiāng lǐ de cài.) | We ate up all the dishes in the fridge. |
那家店卖光了演唱会门票。 (Nà jiā diàn màiguāng le yǎnchànghuì ménpiào.) | That store sold out of the concert tickets. |
把 (bǎ) Construction: Subject + 把 + Object + Verb-光
把 (bǎ) construction is extremely common with 光 (guāng) because both focus on the disposal of or effect upon the object. Using 把 (bǎ) shifts the object before the verb, highlighting what was acted upon and completely depleted. This structure often feels more natural to native speakers when the object is definite and known to both speaker and listener.
Subject + 把 (bǎ) + Object + Verb + 光 (guāng) + 了 (le) |
弟弟把蛋糕吃光了。 (Dìdi bǎ dàngāo chīguāng le.) | Little brother ate all the cake. |
你把我的耐心都磨光了。 (Nǐ bǎ wǒ de nàixīn dōu móguāng le.) | You have completely worn out my patience. |
我不小心把这个月的流量用光了。 (Wǒ bù xiǎoxīn bǎ zhège yuè de liúliàng yòngguāng le.) | I accidentally used up this month's data allowance. |
被 (bèi) Construction: Object + 被 + Agent + Verb-光
被 (bèi). This structure highlights that the object was the recipient of a depleting action.
Object + 被 (bèi) + (Agent) + Verb + 光 (guāng) + 了 (le) |
饼干都被弟弟吃光了。 (Bǐnggān dōu bèi dìdi chīguāng le.) | The biscuits were all eaten up by my little brother. |
他的财产被他赌光了。 (Tā de cáichǎn bèi tā dǔguāng le.) | His fortune was completely gambled away by him. |
When To Use It
光 (guāng) whenever an action results in the complete exhaustion of a resource, whether tangible or abstract. Its application falls into several common categories.- 1. Consuming Food and Drink
光 (guāng). It implies the plate, bowl, or cup is left empty.吃光(chīguāng): to eat it all up.喝光(hēguāng): to drink it all up.
孩子们太饿了, 一上菜就吃光了。 (Háizimen tài è le, yī shàng cài jiù chīguāng le.) - The kids were so hungry, they ate everything as soon as it was served.- 2. Depleting Finite Resources
用光(yòngguāng): to use up (e.g., phone battery电 diàn, data流量 liúliàng, shampoo洗发水 xǐfàshuǐ).花光(huāguāng): to spend all one's money.
月底前, 我总是会把工资花光。 (Yuèdǐ qián, wǒ zǒngshì huì bǎ gōngzī huāguāng.) - Before the end of the month, I always spend my entire salary.- 3. Selling and Distributing
光 (guāng) means "sold out." In a personal context, it can mean giving everything away.卖光(màiguāng): to sell out completely.分光(fēnguāng): to distribute or divide something up until none is left.
这款限量版球鞋在五分钟内就卖光了。 (Zhè kuǎn xiànliàng bǎn qiúxié zài wǔ fēnzhōng nèi jiù màiguāng le.) - This limited edition sneaker sold out within five minutes.- 4. Abstract Depletion: Losing, Forgetting, Erasing
光 (guāng) can also apply to intangible things like memories, luck, or advantages, treating them as resources that can be completely lost.输光(shūguāng): to lose everything (especially in gambling or competition).忘光(wàngguāng): to forget completely, as if the knowledge was erased from your brain.
高中学的物理知识, 我现在已经忘光了。 (Gāozhōng xué de wùlǐ zhīshì, wǒ xiànzài yǐjīng wàngguāng le.) - I have now completely forgotten the physics I learned in high school.- 5. Total Departure of People
光 (guāng) can indicate that a place has become empty of people.走光(zǒuguāng): everyone has left.跑光(pǎoguāng): everyone has run off.
音乐会一结束, 体育馆里的人就走光了。 (Yīnyuèhuì yī jiéshù, tǐyùguǎn lǐ de rén jiù zǒuguāng le.) - As soon as the concert ended, the stadium emptied out completely.Common Mistakes
光 (guāng) by misjudging its specific semantic requirement of depletion. The most common errors arise from confusing it with the more general complement 完 (wán) or applying it to in-depletable objects.完 (wán) with Depletion 光 (guāng)完 (wán) focuses on the termination of the action, while 光 (guāng) focuses on the disappearance of the object.- Incorrect:
我昨晚看光了一部电影。(Wǒ zuówǎn kàn guāng le yī bù diànyǐng.) - Reason: This sounds like you made the movie file disappear by watching it. The action of "watching" does not consume the movie.
- Correct:
我昨晚看完了一部电影。(Wǒ zuówǎn kànwán le yī bù diànyǐng.) - Reason: You finished the act of watching.
完 (wán) | Verb + 光 (guāng) |做完作业 (zuòwán zuòyè) - Finish homework. | 吃光米饭 (chīguāng mǐfàn) - Eat all the rice. |做光作业 (zuòguāng zuòyè) | 看光电影 (kànguāng diànyǐng) |光 (guāng) to Indepletable or Abstract Nouns光 (guāng) requires.- Incorrect:
我学光了中文。(Wǒ xué guāng le Zhōngwén.) - Reason: A language is not a finite resource that you can exhaust through learning. This sentence is illogical in Mandarin.
- Correct:
我学会了中文。(Wǒ xuéhuì le Zhōngwén.) - I have learned Chinese (and can use it). - Why: The correct result complement here is
会(huì), indicating the acquisition of a skill. While you can忘光(wàngguāng) a language (forget it completely), you cannot学光(xuéguāng) it.
走光 (zǒuguāng)走光 (zǒuguāng) can mean "everyone left," it has a second, very common idiomatic meaning: a "wardrobe malfunction" or accidental exposure (literally, "the scenery has run away"). Context is critical.- Ambiguous:
她走光了。(Tā zǒuguāng le.) - Meaning 1: She has left (and was the last one here).
- Meaning 2: She had a wardrobe malfunction (e.g., her skirt flew up).
- To avoid ambiguity for "everyone left," it's often clearer to include the subject:
所有人都走光了。(Suǒyǒu rén dōu zǒuguāng le.) - All the people have left. - Why the mistake occurs: Learners apply the literal depletion logic ("the place is empty of people") without knowing the fixed, and more frequently used, idiomatic meaning in fashion/gossip contexts. Native speakers will often first assume the wardrobe malfunction meaning depending on the situation.
Real Conversations
光 (guāng) is a staple of everyday, colloquial Mandarin. You will hear it constantly in informal settings, text messages, and on social media. It adds a vivid, and sometimes dramatic, flavor to the conversation.
Scenario 1
A
你抢到那双鞋了吗? (Nǐ qiǎngdào nà shuāng xié le ma?)Did you manage to snag that pair of shoes?
B
别提了, 我网速太慢, 刷新一下就卖光了。 (Bié tí le, wǒ wǎngsù tài màn, shuāxīn yīxià jiù màiguāng le.)Don't even mention it. My internet was too slow; by the time I refreshed, they were already sold out.
Scenario 2
A
咦, 我昨天买的饼干呢? 放在桌上的。 (Yí, wǒ zuótiān mǎi de bǐnggān ne? Fàng zài zhuō shàng de.)Hey, where are the cookies I bought yesterday? I left them on the table.
B
你问问儿子。我猜肯定被他偷吃光了。 (Nǐ wènwen érzi. Wǒ cāi kěndìng bèi tā tōu chīguāng le.)You should ask our son. I bet he secretly ate them all.
Scenario 3
(User posts a photo of several completely empty plates at a buffet restaurant)
Caption
今天的战斗力可以啊! 感觉把本儿都吃回来了, 老板的脸都绿了。 (Jīntiān de zhàndòulì kěyǐ a! Gǎnjué bǎ běnr dōu chī huílái le, lǎobǎn de liǎn dōu lǜ le.)Our fighting capacity was pretty good today! Feels like we ate our money's worth and then some; the owner looked sick.*
Comment from a friend
你们是把店吃光了吗? (Nǐmen shì bǎ diàn chīguāng le ma?)Did you guys eat the whole restaurant bare?*
Quick FAQ
光 (guāng) be used for time? For instance, to say "time is all used up?"Generally, no. You would not say 我花光了时间 (wǒ huāguāng le shíjiān). Time is typically not treated as a consumable resource in the same way as money or food. Instead, you would use more standard expressions like 我没有时间了 (wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān le) or 时间都用完了 (shíjiān dōu yòngwán le). However, in more literary or dramatic contexts, you might encounter 耗光 (hàoguāng), meaning "to exhaust" or "to deplete through effort." A sentence like 为了这个项目, 我耗光了所有的时间和精力 (wèile zhège xiàngmù, wǒ hàoguāng le suǒyǒu de shíjiān hé jīnglì) - "I exhausted all my time and energy for this project" - is correct but has a much stronger, more formal tone than 花光 (huāguāng).
吃光 (chīguāng) and 吃得精光 (chī de jīngguāng)?This is an excellent question that touches on the difference between a result complement and a degree complement. 吃光 (chīguāng) is a result complement; it states the factual outcome: the food is gone. 吃得精光 (chī de jīngguāng) is a degree complement. It describes the manner or extent of the eating as being "perfectly clean." The particle 得 (de) signals this shift in function. 精光 (jīngguāng) is an intensified version of 光 (guāng), meaning "clean down to the last speck." So while both imply an empty plate, 吃得精光 focuses on how well and how completely the eating was done, often with a sense of admiration or thoroughness.
光盘行动 guāngpán xíngdòng). How does that relate?This is a perfect example of how the concept of 光 (guāng) has been adapted in modern culture. 光盘 (guāngpán) literally means "bare plate." The 光盘行动 (guāngpán xíngdòng) is a public campaign in China to reduce food waste by encouraging people to eat everything on their plates. In this context, the concept has been verbed. People will say `我们
Resultative Complement Formation
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Verb + 光
|
吃光
|
|
Negative
|
没 + Verb + 光
|
没吃光
|
|
Question
|
Verb + 光 + 吗?
|
吃光了吗?
|
|
Past
|
Verb + 光 + 了
|
吃光了
|
|
Bǎ-Structure
|
把 + Obj + Verb + 光
|
把饭吃光
|
|
Potential
|
Verb + 不 + 光
|
吃不光
|
Meanings
The resultative complement {光|guāng} indicates that the action of the verb has resulted in the total consumption, depletion, or disappearance of the object.
Consumption
Eating or drinking until nothing remains.
“把蛋糕吃光了。”
“水喝光了。”
Depletion
Using up resources or money.
“钱花光了。”
“电用光了。”
Disappearance/Emptying
Items being removed or sold.
“书卖光了。”
“人走光了。”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + V + 光
|
钱花光
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + 没 + V + 光
|
没花光
|
|
Question
|
V + 光 + 了吗?
|
花光了吗?
|
|
Result
|
V + 光 + 了
|
花光了
|
|
Bǎ-Sentence
|
把 + O + V + 光
|
把钱花光
|
|
Potential
|
V + 不 + 光
|
花不光
|
Formality Spectrum
资金已全部耗尽。 (Finance)
钱花光了。 (Finance)
钱全没了。 (Finance)
钱烧光了。 (Finance)
The {光|guāng} Concept Map
Food
- 吃光 Eat all
Money
- 花光 Spend all
Stock
- 卖光 Sell out
Examples by Level
我吃光了。
I ate it all up.
水喝光了。
The water is all drunk.
钱花光了。
The money is all spent.
没吃光。
Didn't eat it all.
苹果被他吃光了。
The apples were eaten up by him.
书都卖光了。
The books are all sold out.
电用光了。
The battery is all used up.
他把钱花光了。
He spent all the money.
别把水喝光，留一点儿。
Don't drink all the water, leave some.
这儿的票已经卖光了。
The tickets here are already sold out.
他把所有的积蓄都花光了。
He spent all his savings.
大家把菜都吃光了。
Everyone ate all the dishes.
由于需求量大，库存很快就卖光了。
Due to high demand, the inventory sold out quickly.
他把最后一点精力都用光了。
He used up his last bit of energy.
如果把这些资源都用光，我们怎么办？
If we use up all these resources, what will we do?
那家店的商品昨天就卖光了。
The goods in that shop were sold out yesterday.
他把原本就不多的耐心用光了。
He exhausted his already limited patience.
在那个动荡的年代，家产很快被挥霍光了。
In that turbulent era, the family fortune was quickly squandered.
所有的希望都被现实磨灭光了。
All hope was worn away by reality.
他把仅存的勇气都用光了。
He used up his last remaining courage.
这场浩劫将村庄的生机彻底掠夺光了。
This catastrophe completely stripped the village of its vitality.
他将毕生的心血都倾注光了。
He poured out all his life's efforts.
随着时间的流逝，往日的记忆逐渐消磨光了。
As time passed, memories of the past gradually faded away.
他将所有的筹码都押光了。
He bet all his chips.
Easily Confused
Both mean finished, but 完 is for actions, 光 is for depletion.
Learners often use 没 to mean 'gone'.
Using 不 to negate resultative.
Common Mistakes
不吃光
没吃光
光吃
吃光
吃光了饭
把饭吃光了
吃光不
吃光了吗
卖光了书
把书卖光了
没卖光了
没卖光
钱花不
钱花光
看完光
看完
用光了电
把电用光了
没用光了
没用光
挥霍光了钱
把钱挥霍光了
消磨光了记忆
把记忆消磨光了
掠夺光了资源
把资源掠夺光了
Sentence Patterns
把 ___ 吃光了。
___ 都花光了。
因为 ___，所以卖光了。
如果把 ___ 用光，就没法 ___ 了。
Real World Usage
我们把菜都吃光了。
该商品已卖光。
这个月的钱花光了。
电快用光了，先不聊了。
仓库里的货都卖光了。
票卖光了，我们换个时间吧。
Use with 把
Don't use 不
Context matters
Politeness
Smart Tips
Use '把' + object + '吃光' to sound like a native.
Use '花光' to emphasize the total depletion.
Use '卖光' for professional situations.
Use '用光' for abstract resources.
Pronunciation
Tone of 光
It is a first tone (guāng). Keep it high and flat.
Finality
钱花光了↓
Falling intonation indicates a completed, final state.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a bright light (guāng) shining on an empty plate—everything is gone!
Visual Association
Imagine a wallet opening and a single moth flying out because the money is all 'guāng' (gone).
Rhyme
Eat it up, drink it down, when it's 'guāng', there's none around.
Story
Xiao Wang went to the store to buy bread. He was so hungry he ate it all on the way. When he got home, the bag was empty. He said, 'I ate it all!' (我吃光了).
Word Web
Challenge
Look at your desk or fridge. Find 3 things that are 'gone' and say them out loud using the pattern.
Cultural Notes
Very common in daily life, especially when talking about food sharing.
Often used with a slightly softer tone, sometimes adding '光光' for emphasis.
Used professionally for inventory reports.
Derived from the adjective 'guāng' meaning 'bare' or 'empty'.
Conversation Starters
你把饭吃光了吗？
那家店的衣服卖光了吗？
你这个月的工资花光了吗？
如果资源用光了，我们该怎么办？
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
我把钱都___了。
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
钱花不了。
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
The battery is used up.
Answer starts with: 电用光...
A: 蛋糕呢？ B: ___.
把 / 资源 / 用 / 光
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises我把钱都___了。
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
钱花不了。
卖 / 票 / 光 / 了 / 都
The battery is used up.
A: 蛋糕呢？ B: ___.
把 / 资源 / 用 / 光
Match:
Score: /8
Practice Bank
14 exercises今天的票已经卖___了。
My phone battery is dead.
我把书看光了。
这杯水你要___光吗？
How to say 'He spent all the money' using 把 (bǎ)?
他吃面条光了。
大火把房子___光了。
Select the correct meaning for: 大家都跑光了。
我没吃光了。
他把钱都___光了。
Waiter asks: 'Can I take this plate?' You answer:
我们光用了牛奶。
时间快要___光了。
Score: /14
FAQ (8)
No, it is specifically for depletion. Use '完' for actions.
Because '光' is a result, and results are negated with '没'.
It is highly recommended to show the result is achieved.
Yes, it is common in business reports.
吃光 means nothing is left; 吃完 means the action is finished.
Yes, it is standard Mandarin.
Yes, like 'patience' or 'energy'.
Try describing your day using '光' for things you finished.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
acabar con todo
Chinese uses a complement structure, Spanish uses a verb phrase.
tout consommer
Chinese grammar relies on the complement position.
aufbrauchen
German uses prefixes, Chinese uses post-verbal complements.
～てしまう
Japanese focuses on the action's completion, Chinese on the object's depletion.
استنفد
Chinese uses a flexible complement system.
光
It is the standard against which others are measured.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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