yòngwán: 用完 - To Use Up, To Run Out Of

• Keywords: yongwan, yong wan, 用完, to use up in Chinese, to run out of in Chinese, finish using, Chinese grammar, Chinese result complement, verb complement, HSK 2, what does wan mean in Chinese, a-not-a questions, Chinese particles
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese term 用完 (yòngwán), which means “to use up” or “to run out of” something completely. This guide breaks down the characters 用 (to use) and 完 (to finish), explaining how they form a common “resultative complement” – a core concept in Chinese grammar. Discover how to use 用完 in everyday situations, from running out of money to your phone battery dying, with 10+ practical example sentences, cultural insights, and tips to avoid common mistakes for beginner learners.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yòng wán
• Part of Speech: Verb Phrase (Verb + Resultative Complement)
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: To use something until it is completely gone or depleted.
• In a Nutshell: 用完 (yòngwán) is a perfect example of how Chinese builds meaning by combining characters. It's not just a single word; it's a two-part story: the action 用 (yòng), meaning “to use,” and the result 完 (wán), meaning “finished” or “complete.” Together, they literally mean “use-finish.” This tells you not only that an action happened, but also what the outcome was – the thing being used is now all gone. It's the go-to phrase for when you've run out of anything from coffee to cash.

• 用 (yòng): This character means “to use,” “to employ,” or “to apply.” It's one of the most fundamental and common characters in Chinese, representing the action of utilizing an object or a method.
• 完 (wán): This character means “to finish,” “to complete,” or “done.” It's composed of a roof radical `宀` over `元`. Think of it as completing a task or project under a roof – it's all done! As a result complement, it indicates that the action of the verb preceding it has been brought to a full conclusion.

When you combine them, 用 (to use) + 完 (to finish), you get the clear and direct meaning: the action of using has been completed, resulting in the item being fully depleted.

While 用完 is a practical term, its structure reveals a key feature of the Chinese linguistic mindset: an emphasis on the result of an action. In English, we might say “I used the salt,” and the context tells us if it's all gone. We can add “up” (“I used up the salt”) for clarity, but it's optional. Chinese is often more explicit. By attaching a result complement like 完 (wán) directly to the verb, the sentence leaves no ambiguity. 我用完了盐 (Wǒ yòngwán le yán) doesn't just mean “I used the salt”; it specifically and clearly means “I used the salt and now there is no salt left.” This grammatical structure forces the speaker to be precise about outcomes. This focus on results and completion is a subtle but important difference from English, where the action itself is often the primary focus of the verb. For a learner, mastering result complements like 用完 is a major step toward thinking in a more Chinese way, focusing not just on what you're doing, but on the outcome you've achieved.

用完 is an extremely common, everyday term used for any consumable or finite resource.

• Daily Consumables: You'll use it constantly for things like food, drinks, toothpaste, shampoo, and paper towels. It's the natural way to say you've run out of something.
• Money and Resources: It's frequently used for money, phone credit, data plans, and battery life. Hearing someone say “我的钱用完了” (My money is used up) is a common, and often sad, reality.
• Abstract Concepts: You can also use it more abstractly for things like patience, chances, or time. For example, “我的耐心用完了” (My patience is used up).
• Formality: It is a neutral term, appropriate for both casual conversation with friends and more formal situations. It's a standard, universally understood phrase.
• Connotation: The feeling of the word is entirely dependent on context. Using up your homework (`做完 - zuòwán`) is good. Using up your salary a week after payday (`用完`) is bad.

• Example 1:
  • 我的钱都用完了，得等下个月发工资。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de qián dōu yòngwán le, děi děng xià ge yuè fā gōngzī.
  • English: I've used up all my money, I have to wait until next month's payday.
  • Analysis: A classic example of running out of a resource. The word `都 (dōu)` emphasizes that all of the money is gone.
• Example 2:
  • 啊，糟糕！牙膏用完了，我忘了买新的。
  • Pinyin: Ā, zāogāo! Yágāo yòngwán le, wǒ wàng le mǎi xīn de.
  • English: Oh no, darn it! The toothpaste is used up, and I forgot to buy a new one.
  • Analysis: Here, the subject is the object itself (toothpaste). This is a very common and natural sentence structure.
• Example 3:
  • 你今年的年假用完了吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ jīnnián de niánjià yòngwán le ma?
  • English: Have you used up this year's annual leave (vacation days)?
  • Analysis: This shows 用完 used in a question with the `吗 (ma)` particle. It's a simple yes/no question about a finite resource (vacation days).
• Example 4:
  • 打印机的纸用完了，谁去拿一些？
  • Pinyin: Dǎyìnjī de zhǐ yòngwán le, shéi qù ná yīxiē?
  • English: The printer paper is used up. Who can go get some?
  • Analysis: A common office or school scenario. Again, the object (`纸` - paper) is the subject of the sentence.
• Example 5:
  • 别着急，我还没用完电脑呢。
  • Pinyin: Bié zhāojí, wǒ hái méi yòngwán diànnǎo ne.
  • English: Don't worry, I haven't finished using the computer yet.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the negative form. `还没 (hái méi)` means “not yet,” indicating the action of “using up” has not been completed. Note that this could mean “I'm not done with my task” rather than “the computer's resources are not depleted.” See Nuances below.
• Example 6:
  • 我把这个月的手机流量都用完了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bǎ zhège yuè de shǒujī liúliàng dōu yòngwán le.
  • English: I used up all of this month's mobile data.
  • Analysis: This example uses the `把 (bǎ)` structure, which brings the object (mobile data) before the verb to emphasize what was acted upon. This is a very common pattern with resultative verbs like 用完.
• Example 7:
  • 他的耐心好像已经被你用完了。
  • Pinyin: Tā de nàixīn hǎoxiàng yǐjīng bèi nǐ yòngwán le.
  • English: It seems like his patience has already been used up by you.
  • Analysis: An excellent example of using 用完 for an abstract concept (patience) and using the passive voice with `被 (bèi)`.
• Example 8:
  • 做这个蛋糕把我们所有的鸡蛋都用完了。
  • Pinyin: Zuò zhège dàngāo bǎ wǒmen suǒyǒu de jīdàn dōu yòngwán le.
  • English: Making this cake used up all of our eggs.
  • Analysis: This shows how an activity (“making a cake”) can be the cause for using something up.
• Example 9:
  • 这支笔的墨水用完了，请给我一支新的。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhī bǐ de mòshuǐ yòngwán le, qǐng gěi wǒ yī zhī xīn de.
  • English: This pen's ink is used up, please give me a new one.
  • Analysis: A specific and practical example of something being depleted.
• Example 10:
  • 我们需要一个新计划，因为旧方法的运气已经用完了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xūyào yīgè xīn jìhuà, yīnwèi jiù fāngfǎ de yùnqì yǐjīng yòngwán le.
  • English: We need a new plan because the luck of the old method has been used up.
  • Analysis: A creative and figurative use of 用完, applying it to the abstract concept of “luck” (运气).

• Mistake 1: Confusing `用完 (yòngwán)` with `用过 (yòngguò)`
  • `用完 (yòngwán)` means the resource is GONE. The result is depletion.
  • `用过 (yòngguò)` means you have the EXPERIENCE of using it before. The `过 (guò)` particle indicates past experience.
  • Correct: 这支笔我用完了。(Zhè zhī bǐ wǒ yòngwán le.) - I've used up this pen (it's empty).
  • Correct: 这支笔我用过，很好写。(Zhè zhī bǐ wǒ yòngguò, hěn hǎo xiě.) - I've used this pen before, it writes well.
  • Mixing these up will lead to major confusion!
• Mistake 2: “Are you finished using it?” vs. “Is it used up?”
  • In English, “finished using” can be ambiguous. If you ask, “Are you finished using the salt?” you mean “Is it my turn now?”.
  • In Chinese, 用完 almost always means depleted. To ask “Are you done with it?” (so I can use it), you should say:
    • 你用好了吗？ (Nǐ yòng hǎo le ma?) - Lit. “Have you finished using it well/properly?”
    • 你还用吗？ (Nǐ hái yòng ma?) - “Are you still using it?”
  • Incorrect: 你用完盐了吗？ (Nǐ yòngwán yán le ma?) - This sounds like you're asking, “Did you use up all the salt in the entire container?” which would be strange.
• Mistake 3: Forgetting the `完`
  • A beginner might say `我用钱 (wǒ yòng qián)` which just means “I use money” as a general statement. If you want to express that your money is gone, you must add the result complement `完`. The result is a crucial piece of information in Chinese.
  • Correct: 我的钱用完了。(Wǒ de qián yòngwán le.) - My money is all gone.

• 用光 (yòngguāng) - A very close synonym. `光 (guāng)` means “bare” or “nothing left.” It's slightly more informal and emphatic, vividly painting a picture of something being “used until bare.”
• 耗尽 (hàojìn) - A more formal, literary word for “to exhaust, to deplete.” You would use this for larger-scale things like natural resources, energy, or one's strength (e.g., `精疲力尽 - jīng pí lì jìn`, an idiom for being utterly exhausted).
• 吃完 (chīwán) - “To finish eating.” This follows the exact same Verb+完 structure, showing how versatile the complement `完` is.
• 卖完 (màiwán) - “To sell out.” The action is `卖` (to sell) and the result is `完` (it's all gone). This is what a shopkeeper tells you when an item is out of stock.
• 做完 (zuòwán) - “To finish doing.” Used for tasks like homework (`作业做完了 - zuòyè zuòwán le`).
• 用过 (yòngguò) - A conceptual opposite. Not an antonym, but a different kind of “finished.” This means “to have used before” and refers to past experience, not depletion.
• 够用 (gòuyòng) - The true antonym. It means “to be enough to use” or “sufficient.” (我的钱还够用 - Wǒ de qián hái gòuyòng - My money is still sufficient).
• 用好 (yònghǎo) - To finish using something properly or to get it ready. The result `好 (hǎo)` implies the action was completed well or successfully. For example, preparing a tool.