Expressing "not anymore" with "le"
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.
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.
- 你 不 喜欢 我 了 ?You don't like me anymore?
- 我 不 想 吃 了 。I don't want to eat anymore.
- 你们 不能 喝 了 。You can't drink anymore.
- 我 已经 不 住 这里 了 。I don't live here anymore.
- 我们 都 没有 钱 了 。We don't have any more money.
- 他 已经 不 在 这儿 工作 了 。He doesn't work here anymore.
- 他 已经 不 是 我老板 了。He is not my boss anymore.
- 他们 已经 不 在 一起 了 。They are no longer together.
- 生病 以后,爸爸 不 能 喝酒 了 。(there's some new reason why dad can't drink now) After getting sick, Dad can no longer drink.
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)