Difference between revisions of "Expressing completion with "le""

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The particle 了 (le) has a [[Uses of "le"|lot of uses]]. One of the most common is to express the completion of an action. This is called [[Aspect|aspect]], which is not the same as tense. Tense is about ''when an action happens'': past, present or future. With regards to 了 (le), aspect is about ''whether the action is complete'' in a certain time frame.
 
The particle 了 (le) has a [[Uses of "le"|lot of uses]]. One of the most common is to express the completion of an action. This is called [[Aspect|aspect]], which is not the same as tense. Tense is about ''when an action happens'': past, present or future. With regards to 了 (le), aspect is about ''whether the action is complete'' in a certain time frame.
  
== Basic Usage ==
+
== Most Basic Pattern ==
 +
 
 +
The simplest way to use 了 (le) is to just put it after a verb. When there's nothing else after the verb, there are no complications!
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*他们 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen lái <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">They arrived.</span>
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*他们 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen dào <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">They have arrived.</span>
*我 买 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ mǎi <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">I bought it.</span>
+
*我 买 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ mǎi <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">I've bought it.</span>
 
*我们 都 去 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu qù <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">We all went.</span>
 
*我们 都 去 <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu qù <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">We all went.</span>
 
*我 找到 <em>了</em> !<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zhǎodào <em>le</em>!</span><span class="trans">I found it!</span>
 
*我 找到 <em>了</em> !<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zhǎodào <em>le</em>!</span><span class="trans">I found it!</span>
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</div>
 
</div>
  
=== Structure ===
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== Putting 了 After a Verb with an Object ==
 +
 
 +
=== Verb + 了 + Obj. Structure ===
  
If the verb with a 了 takes an object, which has an attribute, goes directly after the verb. If there is an object right after the verb, 了 is frequently placed after the object instead of right after the verb.  
+
If the verb has an object, 了 (le) ''can'' go directly after the verb, but only when the object has a bit of extra information attached to it. This pattern works if the sentence includes more information about the object, such as how many there are, or some additional adjectives describing the object. (The object can't be "bare," or unmodified.)
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + Verb + 了 (+ Obj.)  
+
Subj. + Verb + 了 + [Information] + Obj. 
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
=== Verb + 了 + Obj. Examples ===
 +
 
 +
<div class="liju">
 +
 
 +
*老师 问 <em>了</em> <strong>五 个</strong> 问题 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎoshī wèn <em>le</em> <strong>wǔ gè</strong> wèntí.</span><span class="trans">The teacher asked five questions.</span>
 +
*我 买 <em>了</em> <strong>三 本</strong> 书 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ mǎi <em>le</em> <strong>sān běn</strong> shū.</span><span class="trans">I bought three books.</span>
 +
*我 喝 <em>了</em> <strong>两 杯</strong> 咖啡 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ hē <em>le</em> <strong>liǎng bēi</strong> kāfēi.</span><span class="trans">I drank two cups of coffee.</span>
 +
*他 买 <em>了</em> <strong>新 手机</strong> 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā mǎi <em>le</em> <strong>xīn shǒujī</strong>.</span><span class="trans">He bought a new cell phone.</span>
 +
*他 打 <em>了</em> <strong>最 坏 的</strong> 人 。<span class="pinyin">Tā dǎ <em>le</em> <strong>zuì huài de</strong> rén.</span><span class="trans">He hit the worst guy.</span>
 +
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
 +
 +
=== Verb + Obj. + 了 Structure ===
 +
 +
So what if you don't want to add in lots of information describing the object? In this case, the 了 (le) can simply go after the object. You might think of it as the 了 (le) indicating completion "wanting to stay close to the verb."
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*他 买 <strong>新 手机</strong> <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā mǎi <em>le</em> <strong>xīn shǒujī</strong>.</span><span class="trans">He bought a new cell phone.</span>
+
*上个月 我 去 <strong>台湾</strong> <em>了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Shàng gè yuè wǒ qù <strong>Táiwān</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">I went to Taiwan last month.</span>
*上个月 我 去 <em>了</em> <strong>台湾</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Shàng gè yuè wǒ qù <em>le</em> <strong>Táiwān</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I went to Taiwan last month.</span>
 
 
*昨天 晚上 我 看见 <strong>UFO</strong> <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ kànjiàn <em>le</em> <strong>UFO</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I saw a UFO last night.</span>
 
*昨天 晚上 我 看见 <strong>UFO</strong> <em>了</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ kànjiàn <em>le</em> <strong>UFO</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I saw a UFO last night.</span>
  
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A few examples:
 
A few examples:
  
<div class="liju">
 
  
*老师 问 <em>了</em> <strong>五 个</strong> 问题 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎoshī wèn <em>le</em> <strong>wǔ gè</strong> wèntí.</span><span class="trans">The teacher asked five questions.</span>
 
*我 买 <em>了</em> <strong>三 本</strong> 书 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ mǎi <em>le</em> <strong>sān běn</strong> shū.</span><span class="trans">I bought three books.</span>
 
*我 喝 <em>了</em> <strong>两杯</strong> 咖啡 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ hē <em>le</em> <strong>liǎng bēi</strong> kāfēi.</span><span class="trans">I drank two cups of coffee.</span>
 
 
</div>
 
  
 
In these cases, if you put the 了 (le) at the end of the sentence, you're implying something besides just basic completion of the action.
 
In these cases, if you put the 了 (le) at the end of the sentence, you're implying something besides just basic completion of the action.

Revision as of 08:35, 28 April 2018

Also known as: 了1, verb 了, completed action 了 and perfective aspect 了.

The particle 了 (le) has a lot of uses. One of the most common is to express the completion of an action. This is called aspect, which is not the same as tense. Tense is about when an action happens: past, present or future. With regards to 了 (le), aspect is about whether the action is complete in a certain time frame.

Most Basic Pattern

The simplest way to use 了 (le) is to just put it after a verb. When there's nothing else after the verb, there are no complications!

Structure

Subj. + Verb + 了

Examples

  • 他们 到 Tāmen dào le.They have arrived.
  • 我 买 Wǒ mǎi le.I've bought it.
  • 我们 都 去 Wǒmen dōu qù le.We all went.
  • 我 找到 Wǒ zhǎodào le!I found it!

Putting 了 After a Verb with an Object

Verb + 了 + Obj. Structure

If the verb has an object, 了 (le) can go directly after the verb, but only when the object has a bit of extra information attached to it. This pattern works if the sentence includes more information about the object, such as how many there are, or some additional adjectives describing the object. (The object can't be "bare," or unmodified.)

Subj. + Verb + 了 + [Information] + Obj.

Verb + 了 + Obj. Examples

  • 老师 问 五 个 问题 。Lǎoshī wèn le wǔ gè wèntí.The teacher asked five questions.
  • 我 买 三 本 书 。Wǒ mǎi le sān běn shū.I bought three books.
  • 我 喝 两 杯 咖啡 。Wǒ hē le liǎng bēi kāfēi.I drank two cups of coffee.
  • 他 买 新 手机Tā mǎi le xīn shǒujī.He bought a new cell phone.
  • 他 打 最 坏 的 人 。Tā dǎ le zuì huài de rén.He hit the worst guy.

Verb + Obj. + 了 Structure

So what if you don't want to add in lots of information describing the object? In this case, the 了 (le) can simply go after the object. You might think of it as the 了 (le) indicating completion "wanting to stay close to the verb."

  • 上个月 我 去 台湾 Shàng gè yuè wǒ qù Táiwān le.I went to Taiwan last month.
  • 昨天 晚上 我 看见 UFO Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ kànjiàn le UFO.I saw a UFO last night.

Note that 了 can also come after the object. For example:

  • 他 买 新 手机 Tā mǎi xīn xīn shǒujī le .He bought a new cell phone.
  • 上个 月 我 去 台湾 Shàng gè yuè wǒ qù Táiwān le.I went to Taiwan last month.

In these cases, the position of 了 (le) doesn't really matter.

Special Usage

The examples above indicate a completed action, but they might also seem very similar to a "past tense" in English. To illustrate that 了 (le) can also indicate that one action is completed before another, see the following examples:

  • 我 下课 以后 去 找 你 。future actionWǒ xiàkè le yǐhòu qù zhǎo nǐ .I will go find you after I finish class.
  • 你 下班 以后 给 我 打 电话 。future actionNǐ ​xiàbān le yǐhòu gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.After you get off work, give me a call.
  • 你 到 以后 告诉 我 。future actionNǐ dào le yǐhòu gàosu wǒ.After you have arrived, tell me.

As you can see, 了 (le) can appear in sentences about the future as well as the past. What's important is whether or not the action has been completed, no matter what time frame we're talking about. This also means that this 了 (le) isn't used with habitual or continuous actions.

Where to put 了

In some cases, 了 and the position of the object are fixed. If anything is misplaced, the sentence won't make sense.

Objects of Fixed Quantity

了 must go directly after the verb if the object is preceded by a number and measure word.

Verb + 了 + Number + Measure Word + Obj.

A few examples:


In these cases, if you put the 了 (le) at the end of the sentence, you're implying something besides just basic completion of the action.

When 来 (lái) or 去 (qù) Also Appear

If the preposition includes 来 (lái) or 去 (qù), 了 (le) should be placed after the second verb or verb phrase, marking the completion of the main event.

Subj. + 来 / 去 + Place + Verb / [Verb Phrase] + 了

A few examples:

  • 昨天 她 我 家 吃饭 Zuótiān tā lái wǒ jiā chīfàn le.She came to my place and ate dinner yesterday.
  • 我们 上周 北京 开会 Wǒmen shàng zhōu Běijīng kāihuì le.We went to Beijing and had a meeting there last week.
  • 我 和 朋友 商场 买 衣服 Wǒ hé péngyou shāngchǎng mǎi yīfu le.I went to the mall with my friend and bought some clothes.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites