Advanced "le" after an object

You may have learned that 了 (le) follows immediately after a verb to indicate completion (AKA 了1), and comes at the end of a sentence when it indicates a "change of state" (AKA 了2). But what's the explanation for how it frequently follows not the verb, but the object after the verb? That's what this grammar point is about: bringing a bit more depth to your understanding of expressing completion with "le".

Two Possible Structures

Both of these basic structures are possible (and correct), even when 了 is merely indicating completion.

Subj. + Verb + 了 + Obj.

Subj. + Verb + Obj. + 了

If it's a rather short and simple sentence, putting 了 directly after the verb, while not technically incorrect, can make the sentence feel incomplete. For example:

• 我 上 了 课 。 I took the class....
• 老师 问 了 问题。The teacher asked questions....

So what are the rules for when to put 了 directly after verb, and when to put it after the object? That is the point of this article.

了 After a Verb with an Object

Verb + 了 + Obj.语气上往往不能自足，但满足以下几种条件时，“了”通常在宾语前，句子的语气才完整。

Specifying the Object

宾语有修饰限定的成分，如数量短语、形容词，或者宾语本身即专有名词。When the Object's Quantity is Specified

Some examples：

• 他 买 了 一辆 车 。He bought a car.
• 妈妈 做 了 很多 菜 。Mom made many dishes.
• 我们 吃 了 印度 菜 。We ate Indian food.
• 她 穿 了 最漂亮 的 裙子 。She wore her most beautiful dress.

Specifying the Time, Place, Purpose, etc.

When time, place, and purpose are specified in a sentence, 了 can be used to indicate completion. 句中有时间、地点、目的、方式等状语。When Time is Specified

• 我 昨天 看 了 电影 。I had dinner together with my colleagues.
• 我 和 同事 一起 吃 了 饭 。I had dinner together with my colleagues.
• 我们 在 动物园 和 熊猫 拍 了 照 。We took photos with pandas in the zoo.
• 他 女朋友 为了 他 辞 了 工作 。His girlfriend quit her job for him.
• 他们 顺利 地 到 了 南极 。They arrived at the South Pole successfully.

Used as An Answer to A Question

在对话中作为答句，因为语境充分，可以成句。

• A:你 带 电脑 了 吗？Did you bring your computer?
• B: 我 带 了 电脑 。Yes, I've had it.

Completion in the Future

In this case , 了 is often placed after a Verb with an Object. To illustrate that 了 (le) can also indicate that one action is completed before another in the future, see the following examples:

Some examples:

• 你 到 了 给 我 打 电话 。future actionAfter you have arrived, call me.
• 我 下 了 课 去 找 你 。future actionI will go find you after I finish class.
• 她 想 毕 了 业 就 结婚 。future actionShe wants to get married after she graduates.
• 我 打算 生 了 孩子 就 回去 工作 。future actionI plan to get back to work after childbirth.

Do Not Need “了” to Indicate Completion of an Action or Situation 不需要“了”表完成的情况

Cannot use together with a psychological verb. 不能和“心理动词”连用。

Can be used together in the middle of a sentence with “以前”. 句中有“以前”连用。

“了” cannot be used together with “会” to indicate future completion of an action. “了”不能和“会”连用表示将来完成。

When a verb is just an attributive of an adverbial attributive of a specific or certain time, “了” is generally not added. 动词只是做某个时间状语的定语时，一般不加“了”。

我刚来了中国的时候，不会说中文。 我上大学了的时候，认识了我女朋友。

Putting 了 After Consecutive Actions

“了”的位置起到标志主要事件的作用。

In a list of consecutive events, the position of 了 serves to signal the purpose of the events.

• 他 坐 高铁 去 了 广州 。He took the high speed train and went to Guangzhou.
• 我 的 一个 男 同事 帮 我 搬 了 家 。A male coworker helped me move.
• 老板 请 我们 吃了 一 顿 大餐 。My boss invited me to eat a big dinner.
• 他 站起来 ，走过去 ，打 了 他 一下 。He stood up and walked to him and hit him.

Usage of Double 了

Emphasizing "big quantity"

如果在句末再加一个“了”，则有两层含义：一是强调或暗示数量多；二是表示“还有可能继续”。

If another 了 is added at the end of the sentence, it indicates two things. One is to emphasize or imply that the number in front of the object is already a big number, and the other is to indicate that this number could continue to grow.

• 他们 生 了 四 个 孩子 了 。They've had four children already.
• 你 吃 了 五 个 包子 了 。You've eaten five baozi already.
• 她 一年 换 了 三 个 工作 了。She had three different jobs within one year.

Giving a tone of strong confirmation

如果句末再加一个“了”，表示加强肯定语气，因为语气充足，允许宾语极其简单。

If there is another 了 placed at the end of the sentence, it can add a stronger emphasis that the action was completed, in the same way we might say we "did finish the work" instead of just saying we "finished the work."

• 我 做 了 作业 了 ，你 要 检查 吗 ？I did finish my homework. Do you want to check it?
• 不用 给 我们 盛饭 ，我们 吃 了 饭 了 。You don't need to serve rice for us. We did eat.
• 他 问了 经理 了 ，经理 说 行 。He did ask the manager, and he said yes.

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK5