Difference between revisions of "Change of state with "le""
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| − | * 下 雨 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl">It wasn't raining, but now it is.</span><span class="pinyin">Xià yǔ <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">It's raining.</span> | + | * 下 雨 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">It wasn't raining, but now it is.</span><span class="pinyin">Xià yǔ <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">It's raining.</span> |
* 妈妈 老 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl">We aren't used to thinking of her as old, but she is now.</span><span class="pinyin">Māma lǎo <em>le</em>. </span><span class="trans">Mom is old. </span> | * 妈妈 老 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl">We aren't used to thinking of her as old, but she is now.</span><span class="pinyin">Māma lǎo <em>le</em>. </span><span class="trans">Mom is old. </span> | ||
| − | * 你 胖 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl">You used to not be fat.</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ pàng <em>le</em>. </span><span class="trans">You've gotten fat. </span> | + | * 你 胖 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">You used to not be fat.</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ pàng <em>le</em>. </span><span class="trans">You've gotten fat. </span> |
| − | * 家里 没有 牛奶 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl">We had milk before.</span><span class="pinyin">Jiālǐ méiyǒu niúnǎi <em>le</em>. </span><span class="trans">We don't have any milk at home. </span> | + | * 家里 没有 牛奶 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">We had milk before.</span><span class="pinyin">Jiālǐ méiyǒu niúnǎi <em>le</em>. </span><span class="trans">We don't have any milk at home. </span> |
| − | * 爸爸 今年 50 岁 <em>了</em>。 <span class="expl">Seems like just a year ago he was only 49!</span><span class="pinyin">Bàba jīnnián wǔshí suì <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">Dad is 50 years old this year. </span> | + | * 爸爸 今年 50 岁 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl">Seems like just a year ago he was only 49!</span><span class="pinyin">Bàba jīnnián wǔshí suì <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">Dad is 50 years old this year. </span> |
| − | * 手机 没 电 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl">It was working fine until now.</span><span class="pinyin">Shǒujī méi diàn <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">The cell phone ran out of power. </span> | + | * 手机 没 电 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">It was working fine until now.</span><span class="pinyin">Shǒujī méi diàn <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">The cell phone ran out of power. </span> |
| − | * 宝宝 会 说话 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl">He couldn't before.</span><span class="pinyin">Bǎobao huì shuōhuà <em>le</em>. </span><span class="trans">The baby can speak. </span> | + | * 宝宝 会 说话 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">He couldn't before.</span><span class="pinyin">Bǎobao huì shuōhuà <em>le</em>. </span><span class="trans">The baby can speak. </span> |
| − | * 你哥哥 有 女朋友 <em>了</em> 吗？<span class="expl pdf- | + | * 你哥哥 有 女朋友 <em>了</em> 吗？<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">He didn't have one before.</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ gēge yǒu nǚpéngyou <em>le</em> ma? </span><span class="trans">Does your older brother have a girlfriend? </span> |
| − | * 我 男朋友 找到 新 工作 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl">A big change for sure.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ nánpéngyou zhǎodào xīn gōngzuò <em>le</em>. </span><span class="trans">My boyfriend found a new job. </span> | + | * 我 男朋友 找到 新 工作 <em>了</em>。<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">A big change for sure.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ nánpéngyou zhǎodào xīn gōngzuò <em>le</em>. </span><span class="trans">My boyfriend found a new job. </span> |
* 你 老婆 怀孕 <em>了</em> 吗？<span class="expl">I know you guys have been trying...</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ lǎopo huáiyùn <em>le</em> ma? </span><span class="trans">Is your wife pregnant? </span> | * 你 老婆 怀孕 <em>了</em> 吗？<span class="expl">I know you guys have been trying...</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ lǎopo huáiyùn <em>le</em> ma? </span><span class="trans">Is your wife pregnant? </span> | ||
Revision as of 01:36, 9 May 2017
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Keywords
- Also known as: 了2, change-of-state 了, sentence 了 and modal 了.
了 (le) has many uses. You probably first learned 了 (le) as a particle that tells you an action is completed, which is also known as "了1." However, this article is not about that use of 了 (le); instead, it is about indicating a change of state (了2). In other words, there is now a new situation, or there is about to be a new situation. This whole "change of state" idea can take numerous forms, and this page includes some helpful examples.
Contents
Structure
When used in this way, 了(le) is placed at the end of the sentence to show that the whole statement describes a new situation.
[New Situation] + 了
Examples
- 下 雨 了。It wasn't raining, but now it is.It's raining.
- 妈妈 老 了。We aren't used to thinking of her as old, but she is now.Mom is old.
- 你 胖 了。You used to not be fat.You've gotten fat.
- 家里 没有 牛奶 了。We had milk before.We don't have any milk at home.
- 爸爸 今年 50 岁 了。Seems like just a year ago he was only 49!Dad is 50 years old this year.
- 手机 没 电 了。It was working fine until now.The cell phone ran out of power.
- 宝宝 会 说话 了。He couldn't before.The baby can speak.
- 你哥哥 有 女朋友 了 吗？He didn't have one before.Does your older brother have a girlfriend?
- 我 男朋友 找到 新 工作 了。A big change for sure.My boyfriend found a new job.
- 你 老婆 怀孕 了 吗？I know you guys have been trying...Is your wife pregnant?
Too general?
The whole "change of state" concept might seem very general, and it is. That's why it's useful to break this use of 了 (le) down into more specific usages, such as using it to mean "now", "already", or "not anymore".
See Also
- Expressing "now" with "le"
- Expressing "already" with "le"
- Expressing "not anymore" with "le"
- Uses of "le"
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)
