complementele

Complementele are elements in sentence structure that complete the meaning of another word or phrase, most often a verb, but also a noun or an adjective. They specify arguments such as who is involved, what is affected, when, where, or how something happens. In many languages, complementele are required by the word they accompany (valence) or are typical companions that clarify meaning.

Verbal complements include direct objects, indirect objects, and prepositional phrases that specify time, place, manner, or cause. In addition, subordinate clauses can function as complements to verbs or adjectives (for example, that you are honest). Complement types also attach to nouns and adjectives: noun complements include phrases like the president of France; adjectival complements occur after adjectives, as in happy about the news.

Complementele are distinguished from modifiers (adjuncts) by their closer grammatical dependence on the word they complete. Removing a complement often leaves the sentence either ungrammatical or with a significantly different meaning. They are central to the study of valence, subcategorization, and government in syntax.

In grammar descriptions, complementele are analyzed as parts of a word's subcategorization frame or valence pattern. While realizations vary across languages, the general idea is universal: complementele complete and constrain the meaning of other words and are essential for specifying arguments, roles, and circumstances in clause structure.