Difference between revisions of "Expressing "not anymore" with "le""

Revision as of 06:05, 21 March 2014

Level

A2 / HSK1
Level

A2
Level

HSK1
Similar to
Similar to
Used for

Referring to changes of situation
Keywords

了

In a negative sentence, the sentence-final 了 (le) can taken on the meaning of "(not) anymore" or "no longer." The word 已经 (yǐjīng), which means "already," may nor may not accompany it.

Structure

(已经) + [Negative Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

没有纸了。(in other words, "we're out of paper")There's no paper anymore.
我不能喝酒了。(there's some new reason why I can't drink now)I can't drink anymore.
你不喜欢我了？ You don't like me anymore?
我已经不爱你了。I don't love you anymore.
我没有钱了。I don't have money anymore. / I'm not rich anymore.
没有酒了。We're out of booze.
我没有工作了。I don't have a job anymore.
不想去了。I don't want to go anymore.
他已经不住在这里了。He is not living there anymore.
他不会再回来了。I can't go back home anymore.

Sources and further reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 68) →buy
Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 126-9) →buy
Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 238-99) →buy
New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 217-8) →buy
New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 64-5) →buy
Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 8) →buy
40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 239)→buy

Websites

Chinesegrammar.info: Chinese le grammar summary (了)

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 === 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]
 * [[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]