View source for Uses of "le"

The Chinese particle 了 has been traditionally divided into two broad categories: '''[[aspectual particle "le"|aspectual particle 了]]''' (AKA 了1) and '''[[modal particle "le"|modal particle 了]]''' (AKA 了2).  However, for a word with as many varied grammatical uses, such broad classifications don't seem particularly helpful to learners.  This article offers an alternative way to understand 了: by listing out specific uses and patterns without regard for traditional classifications, starting with the ones learners will want to learn right away, and moving into more and more complicated uses.

== Beginner (A1) Uses of 了 ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:50em; text-align:left"
|-
! Grammar Point (English) !! Pattern !! Examples!! 了 Type 
|-
|[[ASG8HVFN|Expressing "excessively" with "tai"]] || 太 + Adj + 了 || <span class="liju"><em>太</em> 好 <em>了</em> ! </span> || 了2
|-
|}

== Elementary (A2) Uses of 了 ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:50em; text-align:left"
|-
! Grammar Point (English) !! Pattern !! Examples!! 了 Type 
|-
|[[ASGTSWBR|Expressing completion with "le"]] || Verb + 了 || <span class="liju">她 去 <em>了</em> 北京 。</span> || 了1
|-
|[[ASGYKDNF|Questions with "le ma"]] ||Verb + 了 + 吗 ？||<span class="liju">你 吃饭 <em>了 吗</em> ？</span> || 了1
|-
|[[ASGM055L|Expressing "already" with just "le"]] ||Subj. + Verb + 了|| <span class="liju">我们 都 知道 <em>了</em> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGM055L|Result complement "-wan" for finishing]] ||Subj. + Verb + 完 + 了|| <span class="liju">我 说 完 <em>了</em> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGT185D|Expressing change of state with "le"]] ||[New Situation] + 了|| <span class="liju">今天 我 25 岁 <em>了</em>。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGE5Q4|Expressing "now" with "le"]] ||[New Situation] + 了||<span class="liju">电影 开始 <em>了</em> ！</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGJ36VN|Expressing duration]] ||Verb + 了 + Duration ||<span class="liju">他 在 北京 住 了<em> 两 年</em> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASG69RR8|Expressing duration (ongoing)]] ||Verb + 了 + Duration + 了||<span class="liju">他 在 北京 住 了<em> 两 年 了</em>。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGNXI278|Expressing "already" with "yijing"]] || 已经 + Verb + 了|| <span class="liju">他 <em>已经</em> 走 <em>了</em> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGNGEU8|Expressing "about to happen" with "le"]] ||快 + Verb / Adj. + 了|| <span class="liju"><em>快</em> 下雨 <em>了</em> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGFR96B|Expressing "not anymore" with "le"]] ||(已经 +) 不 / 没(有) + [Verb Phrase] + 了|| <span class="liju">我 <em>不</em> 想 吃 <em>了</em> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[Expressing "stop doing" with "bie… le"]] ||别 + Verb + 了|| <span class="liju"><em>别</em> 玩 <em>了</em> ，去 写 作业 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGFR96B|Superlative "zui"]] ||最 + Adj. + 了|| <span class="liju">四川 菜 <em>最</em> 辣 <strong>了</strong> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGLEVUV|Negative adjectives with "-si le"]] ||Adj. + 死了|| <span class="liju">我 今天 累 <em>死了</em> 。|| 了2
|-

|}

== Intermediate (B1) Uses of 了 ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:50em; text-align:left"
|-
! Grammar Point (English) !! Pattern !! Examples!! 了 Type 
|-
|[[ASGLEVUV|Making negative adjectives extreme with "-si le"]] || Adj. + 死了|| <span class="liju">这 件 衣服 难看 <em>死了</em> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGVME5V|Making positive adjectives extreme with "-ji le"]] || Adj. + 极了|| <span class="liju">你的 中文 好 <em>极了</em> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASG6KUS5|Expressing "much more" in comparisons]] ||Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + Adj. + 多了|| <span class="liju">我 <em>比</em> 你 高 <em>多 了</em> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGSVF28|Expressing duration of inaction]] || (已经 +) Duration + 没 + Verb + 了|| <span class="liju">他 已经 <em>三 天 没</em> 洗澡 <strong>了</strong> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASG9B210|Expressing "about to" with "jiuyao"]] ||Subj. + 就要 + Verb + 了|| <span class="liju">他们 <em>就要</em> 结婚 <strong>了</strong> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGN1JR5|Expressing "again" in the past with "you"]] ||又 + Verb + 了|| <span class="liju">你 <em>又</em> 迟到 <strong>了</strong> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGT1CIR|Expressing "already" with "dou"]] ||都 + Time + 了|| <span class="liju"><em>都</em> 九点 <strong>了</strong> ，快点 起床 ！</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASGKITRZ|Expressing earliness with "jiu"]] ||Subj. + Time + 就 + Verb + 了|| <span class="liju">我 昨晚 八 点 半 <em>就</em> 睡觉 <strong>了</strong> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[ASG700A5|Expressing "finally" with "zhongyu"]] ||Subj. + 终于 + Predicate + 了|| <span class="liju">你 <em>终于</em> 到 <strong>了</strong> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|}

== Upper Intermediate (B2) Uses of 了 ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:50em; text-align:left"
|-
! Grammar Point (English) !! Pattern !! Examples!! 了 Type 
|-
|[[Emphatic adverb "ke"|Intensifying adjectives extreme with "ke"]] || 可 + Adj (+ 了) || <span class="liju">你 做 的 菜 <em>可 好吃 了</em>。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[Expressing "A bit too"]] || Adj + 了一点(儿) || <span class="liju">这个 东西 的 质量 是 <em>差 了 一点</em> 。</span> || 了2
|-
|[[Sentence-Final "le 1+2"]] || ⋯⋯了 || <span class="liju">我 明白 你 为什么 走 <em>了</em> 。</span> || 了1, 2
|-
|}


== See also ==

* [[Expressing experiences with "guo"]]
* [[Using "guo" with "le"]]

== Sources and further reading ==

=== Books ===

* [[Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例)]] (pp. 6-8, 14, 29, 71, 85, 108, 145, 150, 153, 158) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7802006473/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7802006473 →buy]
* [[Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar]] (pp. 185-300, 362) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520066103?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0520066103 →buy]
* [[Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide]] (pp. 62, 190, 192, 213-4, 218-9, 226-32, 236-9, 243-6, 261-2, 264-5) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415700108?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0415700108 →buy]
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)]] (pp. 199-200) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561910401/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561910401 →buy]
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2)]] (pp. 16-8, 55-6, 196-7, 217-8) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561911297/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561911297  →buy]
* [[A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法)]] (pp. 312-3, 400, 423-35, 497-8, 502) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA →buy] 
* [[Chinese Grammar Without Tears (简明汉语语法学习手册)]] (pp. 62-72, 76-88) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B0041UGAJU&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B0041UGAJU →buy]
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 137-9, 208) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy]
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 8, 203-4) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709 →buy]
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1]] (pp. 11-4, 268-9) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276792/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276792 →buy]

=== Websites ===

* Mandarin Essential Grammar (Yale): [http://comet.cls.yale.edu/mandarin/content/le/grammar/changele.htm Change of State "le" 了]
* Mandarin Essential Grammar (Yale): [http://comet.cls.yale.edu/mandarin/content/Lele/grammar/Lele.htm Perfective –Le 了 Vs Particle Le 了]
* CTCFL (Oxford): [http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Lang%20work/Aspect%20notes.htm The use of the particle 了]
* CTCFL (Oxford): [http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Lang%20work/Aspect%20index.htm The exercises on the use of the aspectual particle 了]
* Chinese Teachers' Net: [http://pears.lib.ohio-state.edu/China/le.html On ''Le'']
* ChinesePod: [http://chinesepod.com/lessons/%E4%BA%86-le-somethings-about-to-happen Qing Wen - 了 (le): Something's About to Happen] (free podcast content)
* ChinesePod: [http://chinesepod.com/lessons/the-double-%E4%BA%86-le-phenomenon Qing Wen - The Double 了 (le) phenomenon] (free podcast content)
* ChinesePod: [http://chinesepod.com/lessons/the-glorious%E4%BA%86le-part-1 Qing Wen - The Glorious 了(le): Part 1] (free podcast content)
* ChinesePod: [http://chinesepod.com/lessons/the-glorious-%E4%BA%86le-part-2 Qing Wen - The Glorious 了(le): Part 2] (free podcast content)

=== Academic Research ===

* Hooi Ling Soh and Meijia Gao, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities: [http://www.lingref.com/cpp/tls/2004/paper1510.pdf Perfective Aspect and Transition in Mandarin Chinese: An Analysis of Double –le Sentences] (PDF file)
* Marita Ljungqvist Ari, Lund University: [http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=21150&fileOId=912857 Aspect, tense and mood: Context dependency and the marker le in Mandarin Chinese] (PDF file)
* Limin Jin and Henriëtte Hendriks, Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics: [http://www.rceal.cam.ac.uk/Publications/Working/Vol9/Jin.pdf The development of aspect marking in L1 and L2 Chines] (PDF file)

[[Category:Structures]]
[[Category:Particles]]