Difference between revisions of "Expressing "not anymore" with "le""

Line 3: Line 3:
 
In a negative sentence, the [[Change of state with "le"|sentence-final 了 (le)]] can take on the meaning of "(not) anymore" or "no longer."  The word [[已经|已经 (yǐjīng)]], which [[Expressing "already" with just "le"|means "already,"]] may nor may not accompany it.
 
In a negative sentence, the [[Change of state with "le"|sentence-final 了 (le)]] can take on the meaning of "(not) anymore" or "no longer."  The word [[已经|已经 (yǐjīng)]], which [[Expressing "already" with just "le"|means "already,"]] may nor may not accompany it.
  
== Structure ==
+
== 不 with Only 了 ==
  
[[已经]] (yǐjīng) is optional for this pattern, but either [[]] () or [[没有]] (méiyǒu) will be needed to make the verb negative. The [[Change of state with "le"|sentence-final (le)]] is, of course, required.
+
<div class="jiegou">
 +
不 + [Verb Phrase] + 了
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
=== Structure ===
 +
 
 +
<div class="liju">
 +
 
 +
*我 <em></em> 想 吃 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em></em> xiǎng chī <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">I don't want to eat anymore.</span>
 +
*你 <em>不</em> 喜欢 我 <em>了</em> 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>bù</em> xǐhuan wǒ <em>le</em> ma?</span><span class="trans">You don't like me anymore?</span>
 +
*你们 <em>不</em> 能 打 <em></em> 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>bù</em> néng dǎ <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">You can't fight anymore.</span>
 +
 
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
== 没有 with Only 了 ==
 +
 
 +
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
(已经 +) 不 / 没(有) + [Verb Phrase] + 了
+
没(有) + [Noun Phrase] + 了
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
== Examples ==
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
 
*<em>没有</em> 纸 <em>了</em> 。<span class="expl">in other words, "we're out of paper"</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Méiyǒu</em> zhǐ <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">There's no paper anymore.</span>
 
*<em>没有</em> 纸 <em>了</em> 。<span class="expl">in other words, "we're out of paper"</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Méiyǒu</em> zhǐ <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">There's no paper anymore.</span>
*手机 <em>没有</em> 电 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Shǒujī <em>méiyǒu</em> diàn <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">My cell phone has run out of power.</span>
+
*手机 <em></em> 电 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Shǒujī <em>méi</em> diàn <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">My cell phone has run out of power.</span>
 
*他 <em>没有</em> 家 <em>了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>méiyǒu</em> jiā <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">He doesn't have his home anymore.</span>
 
*他 <em>没有</em> 家 <em>了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>méiyǒu</em> jiā <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">He doesn't have his home anymore.</span>
*我们 都 <em>没有</em> 钱 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <em>méiyǒu</em> qián <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">We all don't have any more money.</span>
+
*我们 都 <em></em> 钱 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <em>méi</em> qián <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">We all don't have any more money.</span>
*你 <em>不</em> 喜欢 我 <em>了</em> 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>bù</em> xǐhuan wǒ <em>le</em> ma?</span><span class="trans">You don't like me anymore?</span>
+
 
*我 <em>不</em> 想 吃 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù</em> xiǎng chī <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">I don't want to eat anymore.</span>
+
</div>
*你们 <em></em> 能 喝 <em>了</em> <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>bù</em> néng hē <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">You can't drink anymore.</span>
+
 
 +
== 没有 with Only 了 ==
 +
 
 +
=== Structure ===
 +
 
 +
<div class="jiegou">
 +
没(有) + [Noun Phrase] +
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
== Adding 已经 for Emphasis ==
 +
 
 +
[[已经]] (yǐjīng) is optional for this pattern, but either [[不]] (bù) or [[没有]] (méiyǒu) will be needed to make the verb negative. The [[Change of state with "le"|sentence-final 了 (le)]] is, of course, required.
 +
 
 +
<div class="jiegou">
 +
已经 + + [Verb Phrase] +
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div class="jiegou">
 +
已经 + 没(有) + [Noun Phrase] + 了
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
=== Examples ===
 +
 
 
*我 <em>已经 不</em> 住 这里 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yǐjīng bù</em> zhù zhèlǐ <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">I don't live here anymore.</span>
 
*我 <em>已经 不</em> 住 这里 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yǐjīng bù</em> zhù zhèlǐ <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">I don't live here anymore.</span>
 
*他 <em>已经 不</em> 在 这儿 工作 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>yǐjīng bù</em> zài zhèr gōngzuò <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">He doesn't work here anymore.</span>
 
*他 <em>已经 不</em> 在 这儿 工作 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>yǐjīng bù</em> zài zhèr gōngzuò <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">He doesn't work here anymore.</span>

Revision as of 10:07, 24 February 2018

Chinese-grammar-wiki-le.jpg

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.

不 with Only 了

不 + [Verb Phrase] + 了

Structure

  • 想 吃 xiǎng chī le.I don't want to eat anymore.
  • 喜欢 我 吗? xǐhuan wǒ le ma?You don't like me anymore?
  • 你们 能 打 Nǐmen néng dǎ le.You can't fight anymore.

没有 with Only 了

Structure

没(有) + [Noun Phrase] + 了

  • 没有in other words, "we're out of paper"Méiyǒu zhǐ le.There's no paper anymore.
  • 手机 Shǒujī méi diàn le.My cell phone has run out of power.
  • 没有méiyǒu jiā le.He doesn't have his home anymore.
  • 我们 都 Wǒmen dōu méi qián le.We all don't have any more money.

没有 with Only 了

Structure

没(有) + [Noun Phrase] + 了

Adding 已经 for Emphasis

已经 (yǐjīng) is optional for this pattern, but either (bù) or 没有 (méiyǒu) will be needed to make the verb negative. The sentence-final 了 (le) is, of course, required.

已经 + 不 + [Verb Phrase] + 了

已经 + 没(有) + [Noun Phrase] + 了

Examples

  • 已经 不 住 这里 yǐjīng bù zhù zhèlǐ le.I don't live here anymore.
  • 已经 不 在 这儿 工作 yǐjīng bù zài zhèr gōngzuò le.He doesn't work here anymore.
  • 他们 已经 不 在 一起 Tāmen yǐjīng bù zài yīqǐ le.They are no longer together.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites