Difference between revisions of "Expressing "already" with just "le""

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== Expressing "Already" ==
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{{Grammar Box}}
  
You can expect to see the word 已经 (meaning "already") in these sentences, which frequently pairs up with 了, but note that sometimes that feeling of "already" can also be expressed with 了 alone.
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You can expect to see the word 已经 (yǐjīng) to mean "already" in Chinese, and it is followed with a [[]] (le), but sometimes that feeling of "already" can also be expressed with 了 (le) alone.
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== Structure ==
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<div class="jiegou">
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(已经) + [Verb phrase] + 了
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</div>
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== Examples ==
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 我 已经 告诉 他 <em>了</em>。 <span class="expl">"I already told him."</span>
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* 我 吃 饭 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="trans">I've (already) eaten.</span>
* 我 吃 饭 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="expl">"I've (already) eaten."</span>
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* 我 已经 告诉 他 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">I've already told him.</span>
* 你 已经 知道 <em>了</em>。 <span class="expl">"You knew (that) a long time ago."</span>
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* 你 已经 知道 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">"You knew (that) already."</span>
* 我 已经 做完 <em>了</em>。
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* 我 已经 做完 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">I already finished it.</span>
* 他 已经 走 <em>了</em>。
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* 他 已经 走 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">He has already left.</span>
* 已经 晚 <em>了</em>。
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* 已经 晚 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">It's already late.</span>
* 我们 已经 在 飞机 上 <em>了</em>。
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* 我们 已经 在 飞机 上 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">We're on the plane already.</span>
* 已经 学 过 <em>了</em>。
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* 已经 学 过 <em>了</em>。 <span class="expl">(The subject is unclear here.)</span><span class="trans">Already studied it.</span>
* 面包 已经 买 <em>了</em>。
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* 面包 已经 买 <em>了</em>。 <span class="expl">(The subject is unclear here.)</span><span class="trans">Already bought the bread.</span>
* 已经 给 你 <em>了</em>。
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* 已经 给 你 <em>了</em>。 <span class="expl">(The subject is unclear here.)</span><span class="trans">Already gave it to you.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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== See also ==
 
== See also ==
  
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* [[Expressing "not anymore" with "le"]]
 
* [[Uses of "le"]]
 
* [[Uses of "le"]]
  

Revision as of 07:48, 20 February 2014

You can expect to see the word 已经 (yǐjīng) to mean "already" in Chinese, and it is followed with a (le), but sometimes that feeling of "already" can also be expressed with 了 (le) alone.

Structure

(已经) + [Verb phrase] + 了

Examples

  • 我 吃 饭 I've (already) eaten.
  • 我 已经 告诉 他 I've already told him.
  • 你 已经 知道 "You knew (that) already."
  • 我 已经 做完 I already finished it.
  • 他 已经 走 He has already left.
  • 已经 晚 It's already late.
  • 我们 已经 在 飞机 上 We're on the plane already.
  • 已经 学 过 (The subject is unclear here.)Already studied it.
  • 面包 已经 买 (The subject is unclear here.)Already bought the bread.
  • 已经 给 你 (The subject is unclear here.)Already gave it to you.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites