Difference between revisions of "Advanced "le" with complements"
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You may have learned that 了 (le) follows immediately after a verb to indicate completion (AKA [[了1]]), and comes at the end of a sentence when it indicates a "[[Change of state with "le"|change of state]]" (AKA [[了2]]). But what about when a complement comes after the verb? Does that count as part of the verb or not? The answer, as it often is with 了, is "it's complicated." | You may have learned that 了 (le) follows immediately after a verb to indicate completion (AKA [[了1]]), and comes at the end of a sentence when it indicates a "[[Change of state with "le"|change of state]]" (AKA [[了2]]). But what about when a complement comes after the verb? Does that count as part of the verb or not? The answer, as it often is with 了, is "it's complicated." | ||
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*做 <strong>起来</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zuò<strong> qǐlái </strong><em> le</em>.</span><span class="trans">Produced/made.</span> | *做 <strong>起来</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zuò<strong> qǐlái </strong><em> le</em>.</span><span class="trans">Produced/made.</span> | ||
*吃 <strong>完</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Chī <strong> wán </strong> <em> le </em >.</span><span class="trans">Finished eating.</span> | *吃 <strong>完</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Chī <strong> wán </strong> <em> le </em >.</span><span class="trans">Finished eating.</span> | ||
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*周杰伦 演唱会 的 门票 卖 <strong>光</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zhōu Jiélún yǎnchànghuì de ménpiào mài <strong> guāng </strong> <em> le </em>.</span><span class="trans">Jay Chou's concert tickets are sold out.</span> | *周杰伦 演唱会 的 门票 卖 <strong>光</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zhōu Jiélún yǎnchànghuì de ménpiào mài <strong> guāng </strong> <em> le </em>.</span><span class="trans">Jay Chou's concert tickets are sold out.</span> | ||
| − | *包里 装 <strong>满</strong> <em>了</em> 书 。<span class="pinyin">Bāo | + | *包里 装 <strong>满</strong> <em>了</em> 书 。<span class="pinyin">Bāo li zhuāng <strong> mǎn </strong> <em> le </em> shū.</span><span class="trans">The book has been wrapped.</span> |
*我 今天 睡 了 十 个 小时，睡 <strong>够</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ jīntiān shuì le shí gè xiǎoshí, shuì <strong> gòu </strong> <em> le </em>.</span><span class="trans">Today I slept for ten hours. It was definitely enough sleep.</span> | *我 今天 睡 了 十 个 小时，睡 <strong>够</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ jīntiān shuì le shí gè xiǎoshí, shuì <strong> gòu </strong> <em> le </em>.</span><span class="trans">Today I slept for ten hours. It was definitely enough sleep.</span> | ||
| − | *我 第一次 听到 这 首 歌，就 爱 <strong>上</strong> <em>了</em>这 首 歌 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ | + | *我 第一次 听到 这 首 歌，就 爱 <strong>上</strong> <em>了</em>这 首 歌 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ dì-yī cì tīngdào zhè shǒu gē, jiù ài <strong> shàng </strong> <em> le </em > zhè shǒu gē.</span><span class="trans">The first time I heard this song, it hurt me.</span> |
*我们 打 <strong>赢</strong> <em>了</em> 比赛 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dǎ <strong> yíng </strong> <em> le </em > bǐsài.</span><span class="trans">We won the competition.</span> | *我们 打 <strong>赢</strong> <em>了</em> 比赛 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dǎ <strong> yíng </strong> <em> le </em > bǐsài.</span><span class="trans">We won the competition.</span> | ||
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*聊 <em>了</em> <strong>下去</strong><span class="pinyin">Liáo <em> le </em> <strong> xiàqù </strong>.</span><span class="trans">chatted on</span> | *聊 <em>了</em> <strong>下去</strong><span class="pinyin">Liáo <em> le </em> <strong> xiàqù </strong>.</span><span class="trans">chatted on</span> | ||
*我 看到 一 个 人 游 <em>了</em> <strong>过去</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ kāndào yī gè rén yóu <em> le </em > <strong>guòqù</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I saw someone swim over there.</span> | *我 看到 一 个 人 游 <em>了</em> <strong>过去</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ kāndào yī gè rén yóu <em> le </em > <strong>guòqù</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I saw someone swim over there.</span> | ||
| − | * | + | *我 已经 把 行李 拿 <em>了</em> <strong>上来</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ yǐjīng bǎ xíngli ná <em> le </em> <strong>shànglái</strong>.<span class="trans">I've already brought my luggage up.</span> |
*我 把 桃子 摘 <em>了</em> <strong>下来</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ bǎ táozi zhāi <em>le</em> <strong>xiàlái</strong >.</span><span class="trans">I picked the peach (and pulled it down).</span> | *我 把 桃子 摘 <em>了</em> <strong>下来</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ bǎ táozi zhāi <em>le</em> <strong>xiàlái</strong >.</span><span class="trans">I picked the peach (and pulled it down).</span> | ||
*小妹 看到 妈妈 不 在 家，哭 <em>了</em> <strong>起来</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Xiǎomèi kāndào māma bù zài jiā, kū <em> le </em> <strong> qǐlái </strong >.</span><span class="trans">Xiao Mei started crying when she saw her mother wasn't home.</span> | *小妹 看到 妈妈 不 在 家，哭 <em>了</em> <strong>起来</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Xiǎomèi kāndào māma bù zài jiā, kū <em> le </em> <strong> qǐlái </strong >.</span><span class="trans">Xiao Mei started crying when she saw her mother wasn't home.</span> | ||
*我 把 整 杯 水 都 喝 <em>了</em> <strong>下去</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ bǎ zhěng bēi shuǐ dōu hē <em>le</em> <strong>xiàqù</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I drank down a whole cup of water.</span> | *我 把 整 杯 水 都 喝 <em>了</em> <strong>下去</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ bǎ zhěng bēi shuǐ dōu hē <em>le</em> <strong>xiàqù</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I drank down a whole cup of water.</span> | ||
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[[Category:B2 grammar points]] | [[Category:B2 grammar points]] | ||
Latest revision as of 04:02, 18 January 2021
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Keywords
You may have learned that 了 (le) follows immediately after a verb to indicate completion (AKA 了1), and comes at the end of a sentence when it indicates a "change of state" (AKA 了2). But what about when a complement comes after the verb? Does that count as part of the verb or not? The answer, as it often is with 了, is "it's complicated."
Two Possible Structures
Both of these structures are possible, but the second one has fewer acceptable use cases.
Subj. + Verb + Complement + 了
Subj. + Verb + 了 + Complement
The former is more common in informal speech, while the latter is more common in written language and is only used with certain types of complements.
了 After the Complement
This is fine for most verb-complement structures. No real limits here.
Some examples：
- 买 到 了 。Purchased/bought.
- 做 起来 了 。Produced/made.
- 吃 完 了 。Finished eating.
- 周杰伦 演唱会 的 门票 卖 光 了 。Jay Chou's concert tickets are sold out.
- 包里 装 满 了 书 。The book has been wrapped.
- 我 今天 睡 了 十 个 小时，睡 够 了 。Today I slept for ten hours. It was definitely enough sleep.
- 我 第一次 听到 这 首 歌，就 爱 上 了这 首 歌 。The first time I heard this song, it hurt me.
- 我们 打 赢 了 比赛 。We won the competition.
了 After a Verb with a Complement
While you do NOT do this with result complements (e.g. 完, 好, etc.), it is a very common structure with direction complements in written Chinese.
Some examples：
- 站 了 起来stood up
- 走 了 上去walked upward to
- 吃 了 起来started eating
- 跑 了 过来ran over here
- 聊 了 下去chatted on
- 我 看到 一 个 人 游 了 过去 。I saw someone swim over there.
- 我 已经 把 行李 拿 了 上来 。
- 我 把 桃子 摘 了 下来 。I picked the peach (and pulled it down).
- 小妹 看到 妈妈 不 在 家，哭 了 起来 。Xiao Mei started crying when she saw her mother wasn't home.
- 我 把 整 杯 水 都 喝 了 下去 。I drank down a whole cup of water.
