Difference between revisions of "Advanced "le" with complements"

 
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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 with "le"|change of state]]" (AKA [[了2]]). But what about when a complement comes after the verb? Does that count as part of the verb or not? The answer, as it often is with 了, is "it's complicated."
 
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 with "le"|change of state]]" (AKA [[了2]]). But what about when a complement comes after the verb? Does that count as part of the verb or not? The answer, as it often is with 了, is "it's complicated."
  
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<div class="liju">
  
*买 <strong>到</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="trans"></span>
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*买 <strong>到</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Mǎi <strong> dào </strong><em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">Purchased/bought.</span>
*做 <strong>起来</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="trans"></span>
+
*做 <strong>起来</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zuò<strong> qǐlái </strong><em> le</em>.</span><span class="trans">Produced/made.</span>
*吃 <strong></strong> <em></em> <span class="trans"></span>
+
*<strong></strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Chī <strong> wán </strong> <em> le </em >.</span><span class="trans">Finished eating.</span>
*穿 <strong></strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="trans"></span>
+
*周杰伦 演唱会 的 门票 卖 <strong>光</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zhōu Jiélún yǎnchànghuì de ménpiào mài <strong> guāng </strong> <em> le </em>.</span><span class="trans">Jay Chou's concert tickets are sold out.</span>
*用 <strong></strong> <em></em> <span class="trans"></span>
+
*包里 装 <strong>满</strong> <em>了</em> 书 。<span class="pinyin">Bāo li zhuāng <strong> mǎn </strong> <em> le </em> shū.</span><span class="trans">The book has been wrapped.</span>
*周杰伦 演唱会 的 门票 卖 <strong>光</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="trans"></span>
+
*我 今天 睡 了 十 个 小时,睡 <strong>够</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ jīntiān shuì le shí gè xiǎoshí, shuì <strong> gòu </strong> <em> le </em>.</span><span class="trans">Today I slept for ten hours. It was definitely enough sleep.</span>
*包里 装 <strong>满</strong> <em>了</em> 书 。<span class="trans"></span>
+
*我 第一次 听到 这 首 歌,就 爱 <strong>上</strong> <em>了</em>这 首 歌 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ dì-yī cì tīngdào zhè shǒu gē, jiù ài <strong> shàng </strong> <em> le </em > zhè shǒu gē.</span><span class="trans">The first time I heard this song, it hurt me.</span>
*我 今天 睡 了 十 个 小时,睡 <strong>够</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="trans"></span>
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*我们 打 <strong>赢</strong> <em>了</em> 比赛 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dǎ <strong> yíng </strong> <em> le </em > bǐsài.</span><span class="trans">We won the competition.</span>
*我 第一次 听到 这 首 歌,就爱 <strong>上</strong> <em>了</em>这 首 歌 。<span class="trans"></span>
 
*我们 打 <strong>赢</strong> <em>了</em> 比赛 。<span class="trans"></span>
 
 
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*站 <em>了</em> <strong>起来</strong> <span class="trans"></span>
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*站 <em>了</em> <strong>起来</strong><span class="pinyin">Zhàn <em> le </em> <strong> qǐlái </strong >.</span><span class="trans">stood up</span>
*走 <em>了</em> <strong>上去</strong> <span class="trans"></span>
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*走 <em>了</em> <strong>上去</strong><span class="pinyin">Zǒu <em> le </em> <strong> shàngqù </strong>.</span><span class="trans">walked upward to</span>
*吃 <em>了</em> <strong>起来</strong> <span class="trans"></span>
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*吃 <em>了</em> <strong>起来</strong><span class="pinyin">Chī <em> le </em> <strong> qǐlái </strong>.</span><span class="trans">started eating</span>
*跑 <em>了</em> <strong>过来</strong> <span class="trans"></span>
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*跑 <em>了</em> <strong>过来</strong><span class="pinyin">Pǎo <em> le </em> <strong> guòlái </strong>.</span><span class="trans">ran over here</span>
*聊 <em>了</em> <strong>下去</strong> <span class="trans"></span>
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*聊 <em>了</em> <strong>下去</strong><span class="pinyin">Liáo <em> le </em> <strong> xiàqù </strong>.</span><span class="trans">chatted on</span>
*游 <em>了</em> <strong>过去</strong> 。<span class="trans"></span>
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*我 看到 一 个 人 游 <em>了</em> <strong>过去</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ kāndào yī gè rén yóu <em> le </em > <strong>guòqù</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I saw someone swim over there.</span>
*<em>了</em> <strong>上来</strong> 。<span class="trans"></span>
+
*我 已经 把 行李 拿 <em>了</em> <strong>上来</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ yǐjīng bǎ xíngli ná <em> le </em> <strong>shànglái</strong>.<span class="trans">I've already brought my luggage up.</span>
*摘 <em>了</em> <strong>下来</strong> 。<span class="trans"></span>
+
*我 把 桃子 摘 <em>了</em> <strong>下来</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ bǎ táozi zhāi <em>le</em> <strong>xiàlái</strong >.</span><span class="trans">I picked the peach (and pulled it down).</span>
*<em>了</em> <strong>起来</strong> 。<span class="trans"></span>
+
*小妹 看到 妈妈 不 在 家,哭 <em>了</em> <strong>起来</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Xiǎomèi kāndào māma bù zài jiā, kū <em> le </em> <strong> qǐlái </strong >.</span><span class="trans">Xiao Mei started crying when she saw her mother wasn't home.</span>
*喝 <em>了</em> <strong>下去</strong> 。<span class="trans"></span>
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*我 把 整 杯 水 都 喝 <em>了</em> <strong>下去</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ bǎ zhěng bēi shuǐ dōu hē <em>le</em> <strong>xiàqù</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I drank down a whole cup of water.</span>
 
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== Sources and further reading ==
 
 
=== Books ===
 
  
 
[[Category:B2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B2 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|了|B2|Verb + Obj. + |我 吃 <em>了</em> 早饭 。|grammar point|nnnnnnnn}}
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{{Basic Grammar|了|B2|Subj. + Verb + + Complement|<em>了</em> 上去 。|grammar point|ASG890CA}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing completion with "le"}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing completion with "le"}}
 
{{Similar|Advanced "le" after an object}}
 
{{Similar|Advanced "le" after an object}}

Latest revision as of 04:02, 18 January 2021

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 about when a complement comes after the verb? Does that count as part of the verb or not? The answer, as it often is with 了, is "it's complicated."

Two Possible Structures

Both of these structures are possible, but the second one has fewer acceptable use cases.

Subj. + Verb + Complement + 了

Subj. + Verb + 了 + Complement

The former is more common in informal speech, while the latter is more common in written language and is only used with certain types of complements.

了 After the Complement

This is fine for most verb-complement structures. No real limits here.

Some examples:

  • Mǎi dào le.Purchased/bought.
  • 起来 Zuò qǐlái le.Produced/made.
  • Chī wán le .Finished eating.
  • 周杰伦 演唱会 的 门票 卖 Zhōu Jiélún yǎnchànghuì de ménpiào mài guāng le .Jay Chou's concert tickets are sold out.
  • 包里 装 书 。Bāo li zhuāng mǎn le shū.The book has been wrapped.
  • 我 今天 睡 了 十 个 小时,睡 Wǒ jīntiān shuì le shí gè xiǎoshí, shuì gòu le .Today I slept for ten hours. It was definitely enough sleep.
  • 我 第一次 听到 这 首 歌,就 爱 这 首 歌 。Wǒ dì-yī cì tīngdào zhè shǒu gē, jiù ài shàng le zhè shǒu gē.The first time I heard this song, it hurt me.
  • 我们 打 比赛 。Wǒmen dǎ yíng le bǐsài.We won the competition.

了 After a Verb with a Complement

While you do NOT do this with result complements (e.g. 完, 好, etc.), it is a very common structure with direction complements in written Chinese.

Some examples:

  • 起来Zhàn le qǐlái .stood up
  • 上去Zǒu le shàngqù .walked upward to
  • 起来Chī le qǐlái .started eating
  • 过来Pǎo le guòlái .ran over here
  • 下去Liáo le xiàqù .chatted on
  • 我 看到 一 个 人 游 过去Wǒ kāndào yī gè rén yóu le guòqù.I saw someone swim over there.
  • 我 已经 把 行李 拿 上来Wǒ yǐjīng bǎ xíngli ná le shànglái.I've already brought my luggage up.
  • 我 把 桃子 摘 下来Wǒ bǎ táozi zhāi le xiàlái.I picked the peach (and pulled it down).
  • 小妹 看到 妈妈 不 在 家,哭 起来Xiǎomèi kāndào māma bù zài jiā, kū le qǐlái .Xiao Mei started crying when she saw her mother wasn't home.
  • 我 把 整 杯 水 都 喝 下去Wǒ bǎ zhěng bēi shuǐ dōu hē le xiàqù.I drank down a whole cup of water.
HSK5