得/不
de / bu
There is a door between the verb and its result
The picture A door standing between the verb and the result it aims at. 得 says the door is open; 不 says it is locked.
Where the picture shows up in 得/不
-
the door to understanding is open
你说慢点儿,我听得懂。
nǐ shuō màn diǎnr, wǒ tīng de dǒng
Speak a bit slower and I can follow you.
-
the door to hearing is shut
外面太吵,我听不见。
wàimiàn tài chǎo, wǒ tīng bu jiàn
It's too loud out there, I can't hear you.
The negative is 听不见, not 不能听见. 能 is about permission or circumstance; 得/不 is about whether it can actually happen.
-
the door to finishing is open
这么多菜,我们吃得完吗?
zhème duō cài, wǒmen chī de wán ma
That's a lot of food — can we finish it?
-
the door to fitting is shut
后备箱太小,行李放不下。
hòubèixiāng tài xiǎo, xíngli fàng bu xià
The boot is too small, the luggage won't fit.
-
the door to getting up is open
明天六点你起得来吗?
míngtiān liù diǎn nǐ qǐ de lái ma
Can you manage to get up at six tomorrow?