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

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== See also ==
 
== See also ==
  
 +
* [["Already" with "yijing"]]
 
* [[Expressing "not anymore" with "le"]]
 
* [[Expressing "not anymore" with "le"]]
 
* [[Uses of "le"]]
 
* [[Uses of "le"]]
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
* [[Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar]] (pp. 68) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1933330899 →buy]
+
* [[Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar]] (p. 68) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1933330899 →buy]
 
* [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 126-9) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy]
 
* [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 126-9) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy]
 
* [[Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar]] (pp. 238-99) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520066103?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0520066103 →buy]  
 
* [[Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar]] (pp. 238-99) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520066103?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0520066103 →buy]  
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{{Used for|Referring to changes of situation}}
 
{{Used for|Referring to changes of situation}}
 
{{Similar|Uses of "le"}}
 
{{Similar|Uses of "le"}}
 +
{{Similar|"Already" with "yijing"}}
 
{{POS|Particles}}
 
{{POS|Particles}}

Revision as of 03:53, 21 March 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