Expressing "stop doing" with "bie… le"
(Redirected from Expressing "stop doing" with "bie…le")
You may know how to make negative commands with "bie," but what if someone is already doing it? The pattern 别⋯⋯了 (bié... le) is all you need to tell someone to STOP DOING THAT (which they're already doing).
Contents
Structure
别 + Verb / [Verb Phrase] + 了
Instead of just a verb, it can also be a verb phrase.
Examples
- 别 说 了 ， 我 不 想 听 。Stop talking. I don't want to listen.
- 别 问 了 ， 我 不 想 说 。Stop asking. I don't want to say.
- 别 做 了 ，明天 做 吧 。Stop doing it. Do it tomorrow.
- 别 看 了，睡觉 ！Stop watching. Go to sleep!
- 别 哭 了 ！Stop crying!
- 别 笑 了 ，别人 都 在 看 你 。Stop laughing. Other people are looking at you.
- 别 吃 了 ，我们 要 迟到 了 。Stop eating. We're going to be late.
- 别 玩 了 ，去 写 作业 。Stop playing. Do your homework.
- 别 喝 了 ，你 已经 醉 了 。Stop drinking. You're already drunk.
Other Meaning
The "别 verb 了“ pattern can also be used to negate the other person's suggestion or try to change their idea. The difference between this usage and the previous example is that the action has not happened yet. A few examples:
- 别 买 了 ，太 贵 了 ！In this case, the person probably isn't actually paying, but she or he is thinking about it.Don't buy it. It's too expensive!
- 别 做饭 了 ，出去 吃 吧 。In this case, the person probably isn't actually cooking, but she or he is thinking about it.Let's go out for dinner instead of cook.
- 下雨 了 ，别 出去 了 。In this case, the person hasn't left yet, but she or he is thinking about going out.It's raining. Let's stay inside instead of going out.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- HSK Standard Course 2 (pp. 76) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 83) [ →buy]
Dictionaries
- 现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 92) →buy
