Difference between revisions of "Expressing "already" with just "le""

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* 我 吃 饭 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="trans">I've (already) eaten.</span>
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* 我 吃 饭 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ chī fàn <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">I've (already) eaten.</span>
* 我 已经 告诉 他 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">I've already told him.</span>
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* 我 已经 告诉 他 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ yǐjīng gàosu tā <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">I've already told him.</span>
* 你 已经 知道 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">"You knew (that) already."</span>
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* 你 已经 知道 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐ yǐjīng zhīdao <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">"You knew (that) already."</span>
* 我 已经 做完 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">I already finished it.</span>
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* 我 已经 做完 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ yǐjīng zuòwán <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">I already finished it.</span>
* 他 已经 走 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">He has already left.</span>
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* 他 已经 走 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā yǐjīng zǒu <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">He has already left.</span>
* 已经 晚 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">It's already late.</span>
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* 已经 晚 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Yǐjīng wǎn <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">It's already late.</span>
* 我们 已经 在 飞机 上 <em>了</em>。 <span class="trans">We're on the plane already.</span>
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* 我们 已经 在 飞机 上 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen yǐjīng zài fēijī shàng <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">We're on the plane already.</span>
* 已经 学 过 <em>了</em>。 <span class="expl">(The subject is unclear here.)</span><span class="trans">Already studied it.</span>
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* 已经 学 过 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="expl">(The subject is unclear here.)</span><span class="pinyin">Yǐjīng xué guò <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Already studied it.</span>
* 面包 已经 买 <em>了</em>。 <span class="expl">(The subject is unclear here.)</span><span class="trans">Already bought the bread.</span>
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* 面包 已经 买 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="expl">(The subject is unclear here.)</span><span class="pinyin">Miànbāo yǐjīng mǎi <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Already bought the bread.</span>
* 已经 给 你 <em>了</em>。 <span class="expl">(The subject is unclear here.)</span><span class="trans">Already gave it to you.</span>
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* 已经 给 你 <em>了</em> 。 <span class="expl">(The subject is unclear here.)</span><span class="pinyin">Yǐjīng gěi nǐ <em>le</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Already gave it to you.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 07:54, 24 October 2014

You can expect to see the word 已经 (yǐjīng) to mean "already" in Chinese, and it is followed with a 了 (le), but sometimes that feeling of "already" can also be expressed with 了 (le) alone.

Structure

(已经) + [Verb phrase] + 了

Examples

  • 我 吃 饭 Wǒ chī fàn le. I've (already) eaten.
  • 我 已经 告诉 他 Wǒ yǐjīng gàosu tā le. I've already told him.
  • 你 已经 知道 Nǐ yǐjīng zhīdao le. "You knew (that) already."
  • 我 已经 做完 Wǒ yǐjīng zuòwán le. I already finished it.
  • 他 已经 走 Tā yǐjīng zǒu le. He has already left.
  • 已经 晚 Yǐjīng wǎn le. It's already late.
  • 我们 已经 在 飞机 上 Wǒmen yǐjīng zài fēijī shàng le. We're on the plane already.
  • 已经 学 过 (The subject is unclear here.)Yǐjīng xué guò le. Already studied it.
  • 面包 已经 买 (The subject is unclear here.)Miànbāo yǐjīng mǎi le. Already bought the bread.
  • 已经 给 你 (The subject is unclear here.)Yǐjīng gěi nǐ le. Already gave it to you.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites