"手机被我的弟弟用坏了。"
Translation:The cellphone was broken by my younger brother.
38 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
1616
How does 用 (a verb) attach to 坏 (an adjective) without using 得 ?
It doesn't show up as a verb on Yellowbridge or Google, so why doesn't it follow the grammar rule for 得 ?
1616
Okay, I found it as a verb on MDBG. It makes me wonder if it is a newer verb or only used as one in certain places. I like how some English dictionaries show the time period for when a word first came into use.
1412
For 'to break/to ruin', 弄坏 (nong4 huai4) seems to be much more common. I could only find 用坏 in one dictionary, and even then its meaning is 'to wear out'
坏 is a resultative complement of 用. It appears directly after the verb to show that this is the result of te verb. It is used with 得 to show ability for that outcome and 不 to show inability for that outcome.
Other examples of resultative compliments you may be familiar with are:
看清楚,看得清楚,看不清楚
听懂,听得懂,听不懂
859
"Little brother" is more common than the formal-sounding "younger brother". If you have a little brother and a big brother it's very common to use the "big" or "little" and not just "brother" on its own. Especially if you're talking to somebody who knows you and your brothers.
Americans say "cellphone" or just "cell". In Australia we say "mobile phone" or "mobile". But these days they're the most usual kind of telephone so lots of people just say "phone". All versions should be accepted.
245
"The cell phone is broken by my younger brother" was not accepted. :( Is/was it because of is/was?