Expressing "not anymore" with "le"

In a negative sentence, the sentence-final 了 (le) can take on the meaning of "(not) anymore" or "no longer." The word 已经 (yǐjīng), which means "already," may nor may not accompany it.

Structure

(已经) + [Negative Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

• 没有 纸 了 。in other words, "we're out of paper")Méiyǒu zhǐ le. There's no paper anymore.
• 你 不 喜欢 我 了 ？Nǐ bù xǐhuan wǒ le? You don't like me anymore?
• 我 不 想 吃 了 。Wǒ bù xiǎng chī le. I don't want to eat anymore.
• 你们 不能 喝 了 。Nǐmen bù néng hē le. You can't drink anymore.
• 我 已经 不 住 这里 了 。Wǒ yǐjīng bù zhù zhèlǐ le. I don't live here anymore.
• 我们 都 没有 钱 了 。Wǒmen dōu méiyǒu qián le. We don't have any more money.
• 他 已经 不 在 这儿 工作 了 。Tā yǐjīng bù zài zhèr gōngzuò le. He doesn't work here anymore.
• 他 已经 不 是 我老板 了。Tā yǐjīng bù shì wǒ lǎobǎn le. He is not my boss anymore.
• 他们 已经 不 在 一起 了 。Tamen yǐjīng bù zài yīqǐ le. They are no longer together.
• 生病 以后，爸爸 不 能 喝酒 了 。there's some new reason why dad can't drink now)Shēngbìng yǐhòu, bàba bù néng hē jiǔ le. Dad can no longer drink after falling ill.

See also

• Expressing "already" with "le"
• Uses of "le"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 68) →buy
• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 126-9) →buy
• Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 238-99) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 217-8) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 64-5) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 8) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 239)→buy

Websites

• Chinesegrammar.info: Chinese le grammar summary (了)