Expressing "not anymore" with "le"
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。
- 他 不 会 再 回来 了。
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 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)
