How to use 害得
Cause + 害得 + affected person + unwanted result
害得 connects a cause with an unpleasant consequence for someone. It is common in conversation when the speaker complains about noise, another person's behavior, or a decision that created trouble. The cause need not be a person acting intentionally: circumstances and the speaker's own earlier actions can also be responsible. The construction highlights the harmful effect rather than neutral causation.
State or establish the cause first, then place the affected person and resulting situation after 害得. That result can be inability, worry, inconvenience, or another unwelcome condition. Because 害 conveys blame or dissatisfaction, the wording can sound stronger than an ordinary statement that one event led to another.
Examples with pinyin and English
下午喝了两杯咖啡， 害得我晚上睡不着。
I had two cups of coffee. It kept me from falling asleep at night.
外面太吵了， 害得我们没办法专心工作。
It's too noisy outside. It's keeping us from focusing on work.
你昨晚没回来，电话也打不通， 害得我担心了一个晚上。
You didn't come back last night, and I couldn't reach you by phone. You made me worry about you for all night.
他把我的手机拿走了，也不跟我说一下， 害得我找了半天。
He took my cell phone without telling me. As a result, I spent all day looking for it.
What to remember
- Use 害得 for an unfavorable result.
- Place the affected person before the result phrase.
- Recognize the complaining or blaming tone.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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