Difference between revisions of "Expressing completion with "le""
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{{AKA|verb 了|completed action 了|perfective aspect 了}}
 
{{AKA|verb 了|completed action 了|perfective aspect 了}}
  
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The particle 了 (le) has a [[Uses of "le"|lot of uses]]. One of the most common is to express the completion of an action. This is called [[Aspect|aspect]], which is not the same as tense. Tense is about ''when an action happens'' - past, present or future. ''Aspect'' is about ''whether the action is complete'' in whatever time frame we're talking about.
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The particle 了 (le) has a [[Uses of "le"|lot of uses]]. One of the most common is to express the completion of an action. This is called [[Aspect|aspect]], which is not the same as tense. Tense is about ''when an action happens'' - past, present or future. Aspect is about ''whether the action is complete'' in whatever time frame we're talking about.
  
 
== The Basic Pattern ==
 
== The Basic Pattern ==

Revision as of 01:55, 13 June 2014

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Also known as: verb 了, completed action 了 and perfective aspect 了.

The particle 了 (le) has a lot of uses. One of the most common is to express the completion of an action. This is called aspect, which is not the same as tense. Tense is about when an action happens - past, present or future. Aspect is about whether the action is complete in whatever time frame we're talking about.

The Basic Pattern

To indicate completeness with 了, the structure is:

Subject + Verb + 了 + Object

Notice that 了 goes directly after the verb. This 了 is called verb 了.

Example Sentences

Some basic examples:

  • 我 喝 了 五 瓶 啤酒。 I drank five bottles of beer.
  • 我 吃 了 两 个 苹果。 I ate two apples.
  • 我 看 了 一 本 书。 I read a book.
  • 今天 我 做 了 很 多 事。 Today I did a lot of things.
  • 他 买 了 一 个 三明治。 He bought one sandwich.
  • 我 看见 了 UFO。 I saw a UFO.
  • 老板 说 了 一 个 小时。 The boss spoke an hour.
  • 我 学了 两 年 中文。 I studied two years of Chinese.
  • 他 做 了 一 个 蛋糕。 He made a cake.
  • 他 去 了 台湾。 He went to Taiwan.

The examples above indicate a completed action, but they might also seem very similar to a "past tense" in English. To illustrate that 了 can also indicate that one action is completed before another, see the following examples:

  • 你 吃 完 了 以后，给 我 打 电话。 After you've finished eating, give me a call. (future action)
  • 你 到 了 以后，告诉 我。 After you have arrived, tell me. (future action)
  • 明天 我 吃 了 晚 饭 以后 去 酒吧。 Tomorrow after I've eaten dinner, I'll go to bar. (future action)

As you can see, 了 can appear in sentences about the future as well as the past. What's important is whether or not the action has been completed, no matter what time we're talking about. This also means that the verbal 了 can't be used with habitual or continuous actions.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites

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