Expressing "not anymore" with "le"

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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.

Structure

(已经) + [Negative Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

  • 没 有 纸 (in other words, "we're out of paper")Méi yǒu zhǐ le. There's no paper anymore.
  • 我 不 能 喝酒 (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 Nǐ bù xǐ huān wǒ le? You don't like me anymore?
  • 我 已经 不 爱 你 Wǒ yǐjīng bù ài nǐ le. I don't love you anymore.
  • 我 没 有 钱 Wǒ méi yǒu qián le. I don't have money anymore. / I'm not rich anymore.
  • 没 有 酒 Méi yǒu jiǔ le. We're out of booze.
  • 我 没 有 工作 Wǒ méi yǒu gōngzuò le. I don't have a job anymore.
  • 不 想 去 Bù xiǎng qù le. I don't want to go anymore.
  • 他 已经 不 住 在 这里 Tā yǐjīng bù zhù zài zhèlǐ le. He is not living here anymore.
  • 我 不 能 回家 Wǒ bù néng huíjiā le. I can't go back home anymore.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites