Difference between revisions of "Expressing completion with "le""
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| − | + | == Putting 了 After Consecutive Actions == | |
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| + | To keep things simple, we'll make the first action "coming" or "going" somewhere, which will be followed by another action. So we'll be using 来 (lái) or 去 (qù) in Each sengtence. For this type of "consecutive action," 了 (le) should be placed after the ''second'' verb (or verb phrase), which marks the completion of the entire sequence. | ||
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| + | Subj. + 来 / 去 + Place + Verb / [Verb Phrase] + 了 | ||
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| + | A few examples: | ||
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| − | * | + | * 昨天 她 <strong>来</strong> 我 家 <strong>吃饭</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zuótiān tā <strong>lái</strong> wǒ jiā <strong>chīfàn</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">She came to my place and ate dinner yesterday.</span> |
| − | * | + | * 我们 上周 <strong>去</strong> 北京 <strong>开会</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen shàng zhōu <strong>qù</strong> Běijīng <strong>kāihuì</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">We went to Beijing and had a meeting there last week.</span> |
| + | * 我 和 朋友 <strong>去</strong> 商场 <strong>买 衣服</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ hé péngyou <strong>qù</strong> shāngchǎng <strong>mǎi yīfu</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">I went to the mall with my friend and bought some clothes.</span> | ||
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| − | + | == Completion in the Future == | |
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| − | == | ||
| − | The examples above indicate a completed action, but they might also seem very similar to a "past tense" in English. To illustrate that 了 (le) can also indicate that one action is completed before another, see the following examples: | + | The examples above indicate a completed action, but they might also seem very similar to a "past tense" in English. To illustrate that 了 (le) can also indicate that one action is completed before another in the ''future'', see the following examples: |
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As you can see, 了 (le) 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 frame we're talking about. This also means that this 了 (le) isn't used with habitual or continuous actions. | As you can see, 了 (le) 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 frame we're talking about. This also means that this 了 (le) isn't used with habitual or continuous actions. | ||
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== See also == | == See also == | ||
Revision as of 08:40, 28 April 2018
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
- Also known as: 了1, 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. With regards to 了 (le), aspect is about whether the action is complete in a certain time frame.
Contents
Most Basic Pattern
The simplest way to use 了 (le) is to just put it after a verb. When there's nothing else after the verb, there are no complications!
Structure
Subj. + Verb + 了
Examples
- 他们 到 了 。They have arrived.
- 我 买 了 。I've bought it.
- 我们 都 去 了 。We all went.
- 我 找到 了 ！I found it!
Putting 了 After a Verb with an Object
Verb + 了 + Obj. Structure
If the verb has an object, 了 (le) can go directly after the verb, but only when the object has a bit of extra information attached to it. This pattern works if the sentence includes more information about the object, such as how many there are, or some additional adjectives describing the object. (The object can't be "bare," or unmodified.)
Subj. + Verb + 了 + [Information] + Obj.
Verb + 了 + Obj. Examples
- 老师 问 了 五 个 问题 。The teacher asked five questions.
- 我 买 了 三 本 书 。I bought three books.
- 我 喝 了 两 杯 咖啡 。I drank two cups of coffee.
- 他 买 了 新 手机 。 He bought a new cell phone.
- 他 打 了 最 坏 的 人 。He hit the worst guy.
Verb + Obj. + 了 Structure
So what if you don't want to add in lots of information describing the object? In this case, the 了 (le) can simply go after the object. You might think of it as the 了 (le) indicating completion "wanting to stay close to the verb."
- 上个月 我 去 台湾 了 。I went to Taiwan last month.
- 昨天 晚上 我 看见 UFO 了 。 I saw a UFO last night.
Putting 了 After Consecutive Actions
To keep things simple, we'll make the first action "coming" or "going" somewhere, which will be followed by another action. So we'll be using 来 (lái) or 去 (qù) in Each sengtence. For this type of "consecutive action," 了 (le) should be placed after the second verb (or verb phrase), which marks the completion of the entire sequence.
Subj. + 来 / 去 + Place + Verb / [Verb Phrase] + 了
A few examples:
- 昨天 她 来 我 家 吃饭 了 。She came to my place and ate dinner yesterday.
- 我们 上周 去 北京 开会 了 。We went to Beijing and had a meeting there last week.
- 我 和 朋友 去 商场 买 衣服 了 。I went to the mall with my friend and bought some clothes.
Completion in the Future
The examples above indicate a completed action, but they might also seem very similar to a "past tense" in English. To illustrate that 了 (le) can also indicate that one action is completed before another in the future, see the following examples:
- 我 下课 了 以后 去 找 你 。future actionI will go find you after I finish class.
- 你 下班 了 以后 给 我 打 电话 。future actionAfter you get off work, give me a call.
- 你 到 了 以后 告诉 我 。future actionAfter you have arrived, tell me.
As you can see, 了 (le) 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 frame we're talking about. This also means that this 了 (le) isn't used with habitual or continuous actions.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 65-8) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 57-9) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 137-9, 208) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 11-4) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 185-217) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 199-200) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 226-8) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 16-8) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (pp. 156-7) [ →buy]
