Difference between revisions of "Expressing duration of inaction"

 
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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
Saying how long you have done something is pretty simple in Chinese. Saying how long you have ''not'' done something is just as easy.
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Saying how long you have ''not'' done something is not difficult, but the word order is different from the [[Expressing duration with "le"|regular pattern for expressing duration]]. If there's a consistent keyword in this pattern, it's going to be [[没]] (méi), since it almost always plays a role.
  
 
== Structure ==
 
== Structure ==
  
Expressing how long something has ''not'' been done is slightly different to expressing the [[Expressing duration|Expressing ongoing duration with double "le"]].  
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Remember, this pattern differs from both [[Expressing duration with "le"|simple pattern for expressing duration]] and the [[Expressing ongoing duration with double "le"|pattern for ongoing duration]].  
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + 已经 + Duration + 没 + Verb + 了
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Subj. + (已经 +) Duration + 没 + Verb + 了
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*他们 <strong>已经</strong> 两 天 <em>没</em> 吃 东西 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <strong>yǐjīng</strong> liǎng tiān <em>méi</em> chī dōngxi <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">They have gone two days without eating anything.</span>
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*他们 <strong>已经</strong> 两 天 <em>没</em> 吃 东西 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <strong>yǐjīng</strong> liǎng tiān <em>méi</em> chī dōngxi <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">They haven't eating anything for two days already.</span>
*我们 <strong>已经</strong> 十 年 <em>没</em> 见 <strong>了</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <strong>yǐjīng</strong> shí nián <em>méi</em> jiàn <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">It's been ten years since we last met.</span>
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*我们 <strong>已经</strong> 十 年 <em>没</em> 见 <strong>了</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <strong>yǐjīng</strong> shí nián <em>méi</em> jiàn <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">We haven't seen each other for ten years already.</span>
 
*他 <strong>已经</strong> 一 个 星期 <em>没</em> 洗澡 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <strong>yǐjīng</strong> yī gè xīngqī <em>méi</em> xǐzǎo <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">He has already gone a whole week without showering.</span>
 
*他 <strong>已经</strong> 一 个 星期 <em>没</em> 洗澡 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <strong>yǐjīng</strong> yī gè xīngqī <em>méi</em> xǐzǎo <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">He has already gone a whole week without showering.</span>
*你 多长时间 <em>没</em> 刮胡子 <strong>了</strong> ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ duō cháng shíjiān <em>méi</em> guā húzi <strong>le</strong>?</span><span class="trans">How long has it been since you last shaved?</span>
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*你 多 长 时间 <em>没</em> 刮 胡子 <strong>了</strong> ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ duō cháng shíjiān <em>méi</em> guā húzi <strong>le</strong>?</span><span class="trans">How long has it been since you last shaved?</span>
*她 半 个 月 <em>没</em> 出门 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā bàn gè yuè <em>méi</em> chūmén <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">It's been half a month since last time she left the house.</span>
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*她 半 个 月 <em>没</em> 出门 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā bàn gè yuè <em>méi</em> chūmén <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">It's been half a month since she's left the house.</span>
 
*你们 多久 <em>没</em> 回家 <strong>了</strong> ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen duōjiǔ <em>méi</em> huíjiā <strong>le</strong>?</span><span class="trans">How long has it been since you returned home?</span>
 
*你们 多久 <em>没</em> 回家 <strong>了</strong> ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen duōjiǔ <em>méi</em> huíjiā <strong>le</strong>?</span><span class="trans">How long has it been since you returned home?</span>
 
*你 多久 <em>没</em> 休假 <strong>了</strong> ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ duōjiǔ <em>méi</em> xiūjià <strong>le</strong>?</span><span class="trans">How long has it been since your last vacation?</span>
 
*你 多久 <em>没</em> 休假 <strong>了</strong> ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ duōjiǔ <em>méi</em> xiūjià <strong>le</strong>?</span><span class="trans">How long has it been since your last vacation?</span>
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</div>
 
</div>
  
In English, we may say something like "I haven't eaten since 9:00 this morning" or "I haven't been to China since the year 2000." Note that the Chinese do not tend to say somebody hasn't done something since a ''certain point in time''. Instead, you should either express it as a duration of time that one hasn't done something (as in the above examples), or you can say "the last time somebody did something was [a certain point in time]."
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In English, we may say something like, "I haven't eaten since 9:00 this morning" or "I haven't been to China since the year 2000." Note that the Chinese do not tend to say somebody hasn't done something since a ''certain point in time''. Instead, you should either express it as a duration of time that one hasn't done something (as in the above examples), or you can say "the last time somebody did something was [a certain point in time]."
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
*我 已经 二十 年 <em>没</em> 来 中国 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ yǐjīng èrshí nián <em>méi</em> lái Zhōngguó <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">It's been 20 years since I came to China last time.</span>
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*我 已经 年 <em>没</em> 来 中国 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ yǐjīng shí nián <em>méi</em> lái Zhōngguó <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">It's been 10 years since I came to China last.</span>
*我 <em>上次</em> 来 中国 <em>是</em> 二十 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>shàngcì</em> lái Zhōngguó shì <em>èrshí nián qián</em>.</span><span class="trans">The last time I came to China was over ten years ago. (Same meaning as "I haven't been to China since 20 years ago.")</span>
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*我 <em>上次</em> 来 中国 <em>是</em> 2010 年 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>shàngcì</em> lái Zhōngguó <em>shì</em> èr-líng-yī-líng nián.</span><span class="trans">The last time I came to China was 2010.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK3}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|没|B1|Duration + 没 + Verb + 了|他 <strong>已经</strong> 一 个 星期 <em>没</em> 洗澡 <strong>了</strong> 。|grammar point|ASGSVF28}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|没|B1|Duration + 没 + Verb + 了|他 <strong>已经</strong> 一 个 星期 <em>没</em> 洗澡 <strong>了</strong> 。|grammar point|ASGSVF28}}
 
{{Rel char|了}}
 
{{Rel char|了}}

Latest revision as of 08:24, 17 April 2019

Saying how long you have not done something is not difficult, but the word order is different from the regular pattern for expressing duration. If there's a consistent keyword in this pattern, it's going to be (méi), since it almost always plays a role.

Structure

Remember, this pattern differs from both simple pattern for expressing duration and the pattern for ongoing duration.

Subj. + (已经 +) Duration + 没 + Verb + 了

So now the duration comes right after the subject and 了 is at the end of the sentence. The verb has to be negated with 没, as the action hasn't happened.

Note that 已经 can be omitted.

Examples

  • 他们 已经 两 天 吃 东西 Tāmen yǐjīng liǎng tiān méi chī dōngxi le.They haven't eating anything for two days already.
  • 我们 已经 十 年 Wǒmen yǐjīng shí nián méi jiàn le.We haven't seen each other for ten years already.
  • 已经 一 个 星期 洗澡 yǐjīng yī gè xīngqī méi xǐzǎo le.He has already gone a whole week without showering.
  • 你 多 长 时间 刮 胡子 Nǐ duō cháng shíjiān méi guā húzi le?How long has it been since you last shaved?
  • 她 半 个 月 出门 Tā bàn gè yuè méi chūmén le.It's been half a month since she's left the house.
  • 你们 多久 回家 Nǐmen duōjiǔ méi huíjiā le?How long has it been since you returned home?
  • 你 多久 休假 Nǐ duōjiǔ méi xiūjià le?How long has it been since your last vacation?
  • 买 吧 ,你 已经 一 年 多 买 新 衣服 Mǎi ba, nǐ yǐjīng yī nián duō méi mǎi xīn yīfu le.Just buy it. It's been more than one year since you last bought new clothes.
  • 你 好像 很久 这么 开心 Nǐ hǎoxiàng hěnjiǔ méi zhème kāixīn le.It seems like it's been a long time since you were this happy.

In English, we may say something like, "I haven't eaten since 9:00 this morning" or "I haven't been to China since the year 2000." Note that the Chinese do not tend to say somebody hasn't done something since a certain point in time. Instead, you should either express it as a duration of time that one hasn't done something (as in the above examples), or you can say "the last time somebody did something was [a certain point in time]."

  • 我 已经 十 年 来 中国 Wǒ yǐjīng shí nián méi lái Zhōngguó le.It's been 10 years since I came to China last.
  • 上次 来 中国 2010 年 。shàngcì lái Zhōngguó shì èr-líng-yī-líng nián.The last time I came to China was 2010.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books