Expressing ongoing duration with double "le"

The 了 (le) particle is used in many different ways. In this article, we will explore how to use 了 (le) to express the duration of an activity that is ongoing.

Only with single verbs

Structure

Expressing how long you did something for in the past is one thing, but what if the action is still ongoing?

A clarifying example (in English) is appropriate:

• I lived in Shanghai for 5 years. (completed, not ongoing)
• I have lived in Shanghai for 5 years. (perhaps completed, but mostly likely ongoing)
• I have been living in Shanghai for 5 years. (definitely ongoing)

This article is about expressing the third situation above, the one which is ongoing.

Subject + Verb + 了 + Duration + 了

So 了 (le) is first placed after the verb (to indicate that the action is completed), followed by the duration, followed by an additional 了 (le) which tells us that the action is ongoing. You can think of the second 了 (le) (marked in green below) as communicating the meaning of "up until now."

Examples

• 他 在 北京 住 了 两 年 了。He has been living in Beijing for two years.
• 你 学 了 一 年 了 。You have been learning for a year.
• 我 做 了 半 个 小时 了 。I have been doing it for half an hour.
• 我 吃 了 三 个 小时 了 。I have been eating for three hours.
• 你 睡 了 一个 小时 了 。You have been sleeping for an hour.
• 这 个 店 开 了 两 年 了 。This store has been open for two years.
• 这 个 会 ，他们 开 了 两 个 小时 了 。They've been holding this meeting for the past two hours.
• 这 本 书，你 看 了 一 个 月 了.You have been reading the book for one month.
• 孩子 们 在 这里 玩 了 一 天 了，他们 还 不 想 走。The kids have been playing here for a day now, they still don't want to leave.
• 我 等 了 你 半 个 小时 了，你 怎么 还 不 来？I have been waiting for half an hour, why haven't you arrived?

When the verb takes an object

Structure

Note that in the examples above, the verbs have no objects. When the verb has an object, the verb is often repeated:

Subject + Verb + Object + Verb + 了 + Duration + 了

Examples

• 他 开会 开 了 两 天 了 。He has been holding a meeting for two days.
• 你 学 中文 学 了 一 年 了 。You have been learning Chinese for a year.
• 我 上网 上 了 六 个 小时 了 。I have been online for six hours.
• 我们 吃饭 吃 了 三 个 小时 了 。We have been eating for three hours.
• 他 打 电话 打 了 一 个 小时 了 。He has been on the phone for an hour.
• 他 一个人 唱歌 唱 了 一 晚上 了 。He has been singing songs the whole night.
• 他 睡觉 睡 了 一 天 了 。He has been sleeping the entire day.
• 你 洗澡 洗 了 一 个 小时 了 。You have been showering for an hour.
• 你 打 游戏 打 了 一 上午 了 。You have been playing games all morning.
• 我 上网 上 了 一 下午 了 。I have been online all afternoon.

Sources and further reading

Books

• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 68) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 203-4) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 13-4) →buy

Websites

• Yale: The Perfective –Le了 Versus The Modal Particle Le了
• East Asia Student: 了 grammar: four kinds of 了 in Mandarin