Difference between revisions of "Expressing "already" with just "le""
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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="pinyin">Wǒ chī fàn <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">I've (already) eaten.</span> |
| − | * 我 已经 告诉 他 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">I've already told him.</span> | + | * 我 已经 告诉 他 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ yǐjīng gàosu tā <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">I've already told him.</span> |
| − | * 你 已经 知道 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">"You knew (that) already."</span> | + | * 你 已经 知道 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐ yǐjīng zhīdao <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">"You knew (that) already."</span> |
| − | * 我 已经 做完 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">I already finished it.</span> | + | * 我 已经 做完 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ yǐjīng zuòwán <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">I already finished it.</span> |
| − | * 他 已经 走 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">He has already left.</span> | + | * 他 已经 走 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā yǐjīng zǒu <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">He has already left.</span> |
| − | * 已经 晚 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">It's already late.</span> | + | * 已经 晚 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Yǐjīng wǎn <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">It's already late.</span> |
| − | * 我们 已经 在 飞机 上 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">We're on the plane already.</span> | + | * 我们 已经 在 飞机 上 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen yǐjīng zài fēijī shàng <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">We're on the plane already.</span> |
| − | * 已经 学 过 <em>了</em>。 <span class="expl">(The subject is unclear here.)</span><span class="trans">Already studied it.</span> | + | * 已经 学 过 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="expl">(The subject is unclear here.)</span><span class="pinyin">Yǐjīng xué guò <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Already studied it.</span> |
| − | * 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> | + | * 面包 已经 买 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="expl">(The subject is unclear here.)</span><span class="pinyin">Miànbāo yǐjīng mǎi <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Already bought the bread.</span> |
| − | * 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> | + | * 已经 给 你 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="expl">(The subject is unclear here.)</span><span class="pinyin">Yǐjīng gěi nǐ <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Already gave it to you.</span> |
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Revision as of 07:54, 24 October 2014
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
You can expect to see the word 已经 (yǐjīng) to mean "already" in Chinese, and it is followed with a 了 (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 了 。 I've (already) eaten.
- 我 已经 告诉 他 了 。 I've already told him.
- 你 已经 知道 了 。 "You knew (that) already."
- 我 已经 做完 了 。 I already finished it.
- 他 已经 走 了 。 He has already left.
- 已经 晚 了 。 It's already late.
- 我们 已经 在 飞机 上 了 。 We're on the plane already.
- 已经 学 过 了 。 (The subject is unclear here.) Already studied it.
- 面包 已经 买 了 。 (The subject is unclear here.) Already bought the bread.
- 已经 给 你 了 。 (The subject is unclear here.) Already gave it to you.
See also
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)
