Difference between revisions of "Expressing duration of inaction"
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− | {{Grammar Box}} | + | {{Grammar Box}} |
+ | |||
+ | Saying how long you have ''not'' done something is not difficult, but the word order is different from the [[Expressing duration with "le"|regular pattern for expressing duration]]. If there's a consistent keyword in this pattern, it's going to be [[没]] (méi), since it almost always plays a role. | ||
== Structure == | == Structure == | ||
− | Expressing | + | Remember, this pattern differs from both [[Expressing duration with "le"|simple pattern for expressing duration]] and the [[Expressing ongoing duration with double "le"|pattern for ongoing duration]]. |
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
− | + | Subj. + (已经 +) Duration + 没 + Verb + 了 | |
− | |||
− | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
So now the duration comes right after the subject and 了 is at the end of the sentence. The verb has to be [[Negation of past actions|negated with 没]], as the action ''hasn't'' happened. | So now the duration comes right after the subject and 了 is at the end of the sentence. The verb has to be [[Negation of past actions|negated with 没]], as the action ''hasn't'' happened. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Note that 已经 can be omitted. | ||
== Examples == | == Examples == | ||
Line 17: | Line 19: | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
− | * | + | *他们 <strong>已经</strong> 两 天 <em>没</em> 吃 东西 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <strong>yǐjīng</strong> liǎng tiān <em>méi</em> chī dōngxi <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">They haven't eating anything for two days already.</span> |
− | * | + | *我们 <strong>已经</strong> 十 年 <em>没</em> 见 <strong>了</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <strong>yǐjīng</strong> shí nián <em>méi</em> jiàn <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">We haven't seen each other for ten years already.</span> |
− | * | + | *他 <strong>已经</strong> 一 个 星期 <em>没</em> 洗澡 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <strong>yǐjīng</strong> yī gè xīngqī <em>méi</em> xǐzǎo <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">He has already gone a whole week without showering.</span> |
+ | *你 多 长 时间 <em>没</em> 刮 胡子 <strong>了</strong> ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ duō cháng shíjiān <em>méi</em> guā húzi <strong>le</strong>?</span><span class="trans">How long has it been since you last shaved?</span> | ||
+ | *她 半 个 月 <em>没</em> 出门 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā bàn gè yuè <em>méi</em> chūmén <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">It's been half a month since she's left the house.</span> | ||
+ | *你们 多久 <em>没</em> 回家 <strong>了</strong> ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen duōjiǔ <em>méi</em> huíjiā <strong>le</strong>?</span><span class="trans">How long has it been since you returned home?</span> | ||
+ | *你 多久 <em>没</em> 休假 <strong>了</strong> ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ duōjiǔ <em>méi</em> xiūjià <strong>le</strong>?</span><span class="trans">How long has it been since your last vacation?</span> | ||
+ | *买 吧 ,你 <strong>已经</strong> 一 年 多 <em>没</em> 买 新 衣服 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Mǎi ba, nǐ <strong>yǐjīng</strong> yī nián duō <em>méi</em> mǎi xīn yīfu <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">Just buy it. It's been more than one year since you last bought new clothes.</span> | ||
+ | *你 好像 很久 <em>没</em> 这么 开心 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ hǎoxiàng hěnjiǔ <em>méi</em> zhème kāixīn <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">It seems like it's been a long time since you were this happy.</span> | ||
+ | |||
+ | </div> | ||
+ | |||
+ | In English, we may say something like, "I haven't eaten since 9:00 this morning" or "I haven't been to China since the year 2000." Note that the Chinese do not tend to say somebody hasn't done something since a ''certain point in time''. Instead, you should either express it as a duration of time that one hasn't done something (as in the above examples), or you can say "the last time somebody did something was [a certain point in time]." | ||
+ | <div class="liju"> | ||
+ | *我 已经 十 年 <em>没</em> 来 中国 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ yǐjīng shí nián <em>méi</em> lái Zhōngguó <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">It's been 10 years since I came to China last.</span> | ||
+ | *我 <em>上次</em> 来 中国 <em>是</em> 2010 年 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>shàngcì</em> lái Zhōngguó <em>shì</em> èr-líng-yī-líng nián.</span><span class="trans">The last time I came to China was 2010.</span> | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
− | ==See also== | + | == See also == |
+ | |||
*[[Expressing duration]] | *[[Expressing duration]] | ||
+ | *[[Expressing ongoing duration with double "le"]] | ||
*[[Uses of le]] | *[[Uses of le]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | == Sources and further reading == | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Books === | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)|231-2}} | ||
[[Category:B1 grammar points]] | [[Category:B1 grammar points]] | ||
+ | {{HSK|HSK3}} | ||
+ | {{Basic Grammar|没|B1|Duration + 没 + Verb + 了|他 <strong>已经</strong> 一 个 星期 <em>没</em> 洗澡 <strong>了</strong> 。|grammar point|ASGSVF28}} | ||
+ | {{Rel char|了}} | ||
{{Similar|Uses of le}} | {{Similar|Uses of le}} | ||
− | {{Similar|Expressing duration}} | + | {{Similar|Expressing "already" with "dou"}} |
− | {{ | + | {{Similar|Expressing duration with "le"}} |
− | {{Used for| | + | {{Similar|Expressing ongoing duration with double "le"}} |
+ | {{Used for|Expressing duration}} | ||
+ | {{Used for|Referring to the past}} | ||
+ | {{POS|Adverbs}} |
Latest revision as of 08:24, 17 April 2019
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
Saying how long you have not done something is not difficult, but the word order is different from the regular pattern for expressing duration. If there's a consistent keyword in this pattern, it's going to be 没 (méi), since it almost always plays a role.
Structure
Remember, this pattern differs from both simple pattern for expressing duration and the pattern for ongoing duration.
Subj. + (已经 +) Duration + 没 + Verb + 了
So now the duration comes right after the subject and 了 is at the end of the sentence. The verb has to be negated with 没, as the action hasn't happened.
Note that 已经 can be omitted.
Examples
- 他们 已经 两 天 没 吃 东西 了 。They haven't eating anything for two days already.
- 我们 已经 十 年 没 见 了。We haven't seen each other for ten years already.
- 他 已经 一 个 星期 没 洗澡 了 。He has already gone a whole week without showering.
- 你 多 长 时间 没 刮 胡子 了 ?How long has it been since you last shaved?
- 她 半 个 月 没 出门 了 。It's been half a month since she's left the house.
- 你们 多久 没 回家 了 ?How long has it been since you returned home?
- 你 多久 没 休假 了 ?How long has it been since your last vacation?
- 买 吧 ,你 已经 一 年 多 没 买 新 衣服 了 。Just buy it. It's been more than one year since you last bought new clothes.
- 你 好像 很久 没 这么 开心 了 。It seems like it's been a long time since you were this happy.
In English, we may say something like, "I haven't eaten since 9:00 this morning" or "I haven't been to China since the year 2000." Note that the Chinese do not tend to say somebody hasn't done something since a certain point in time. Instead, you should either express it as a duration of time that one hasn't done something (as in the above examples), or you can say "the last time somebody did something was [a certain point in time]."
- 我 已经 十 年 没 来 中国 了 。It's been 10 years since I came to China last.
- 我 上次 来 中国 是 2010 年 。The last time I came to China was 2010.