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

Revision as of 01:21, 26 November 2014

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

(已经) + [Negative Verb Phrase] + 了

没有纸了。 (in other words, "we're out of paper")Méi yǒu zhǐ le. There's no paper anymore.
我不能喝酒了。 (there's some new reason why I can't drink now)Wǒ bù néng hējiǔ le. I can't drink anymore.
你不喜欢我了？ Nǐ bù xǐ huān wǒ le? You don't like me anymore?
我已经不爱你了。 Wǒ yǐjīng bù ài nǐ le. I don't love you anymore.
我没有钱了。 Wǒ méi yǒu qián le. I don't have money anymore. / I'm not rich anymore.
没有酒了。 Méi yǒu jiǔ le. We're out of booze.
我没有工作了。 Wǒ méi yǒu gōngzuò le. I don't have a job anymore.
不想去了。 Bù xiǎng qù le. I don't want to go anymore.
他已经不住在这里了。 Tā yǐjīng bù zhù zài zhèlǐ le. He is not living here anymore.
我不能回家了。 Wǒ bù néng huíjiā le. I can't go back home anymore.

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

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 * 不 想 去 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Bù xiǎng qù <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">I don't want to go anymore.</span>
 * 他 已经 不 住 在 这里 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā yǐjīng bù zhù zài zhèlǐ <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">He is not living here anymore.</span>
-* 我 不 能 回家 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā bù huì zài huílai <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">I can't go back home anymore.</span>
+* 我 不 能 回家 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ bù néng huíjiā <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">I can't go back home anymore.</span>
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