Expressing duration of inaction

Revision as of 02:18, 1 August 2013 by Simingjie (talk | contribs)

Saying how long you have done something is pretty simple in Chinese. Saying how long you have not done something is just as easy.

Structure

Expressing how long something has not been done is slightly different to expressing the duration of an action.

Subject + Duration + 没 + Verb + Object + 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.

Examples

  • 他 已经 三 天 没 洗澡 He has already gone three days without showering.
  • 两 个 月 没 喝 啤酒 I haven't drunk beer in two months.
  • 他们 十 个 小时 没 吃饭 They haven't eaten for ten hours.

See also

Sources and Further Reading

Books