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")Méiyǒu zhǐ le. There's no paper anymore.
• 我 不 能 喝酒 了 。 (there's some new reason why I can't drink now)Wǒ bù néng hējiǔ le. I can't drink anymore.
• 你 不 喜欢 我 了 ？ Nǐ bù xǐhuan wǒ le? You don't like me anymore?
• 我 已经 不 爱 你 了 。 Wǒ yǐjīng bù ài nǐ le. I don't love you anymore.
• 我 没有 钱 了 。 Wǒ méiyǒu qián le. I don't have money anymore. / I'm not rich anymore.
• 没有 酒 了 。 Méiyǒu jiǔ le. We're out of alcohol.
• 我 没有 工作 了 。 Wǒ méiyǒu gōngzuò le. I don't have a job anymore.
• 我 不 想 去 了 。 Wǒ bù xiǎng qù le. I don't want to go anymore.
• 他 已经 不 住 在 这里 了 。 Tā yǐjīng bù zhù zài zhèlǐ le. He is not living here anymore.
• 我 不 能 回家 了 。 Wǒ bù néng huíjiā le. I can't go back home anymore.

See also

• Expressing "already" 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)