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

 
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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
After reading this primer on one of the many uses of [[Uses_of_%22le%22|了 (le)]], you will have gotten a good grasp on how to express the duration of something.
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Whether you need to express how long you lived somewhere, how long you studied astrophysics, or how long you worked as a mime, you'll need to use 了 (le) to express that time duration.
  
== Basic expression ==
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== Basic Usage ==
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
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<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
Subj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + Obj.
 
Subj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + Obj.
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
So 了 (le) is placed after the verb (to indicate that the action is completed), followed by the duration. This is how you talk about the duration of completed actions.
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So 了 (le) is placed after the verb (to indicate that [[Expressing completion with "le"|the action is completed]]), followed by the duration. This is how you talk about the duration of completed actions.
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 他 学 了 <em>一 年 </em> 中文。<span class="pinyin">Tā xué le <em>yī nián</em> Zhōngwén. </span> <span class="trans">He studied Chinese for a year. </span>
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*他 学 了 <em>一 年</em> 中文 。<span class="pinyin">Tā xué le <em>yī nián</em> Zhōngwén.</span><span class="trans">He studied Chinese for a year.</span>
* 我 看 了 <em> 一 个 晚上 </em> 书。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ  kàn le <em> yī gè wǎnshang </em> shū. </span> <span class="trans">I read books all evening. </span>
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*我 看 了 <em> 一 个 晚上</em> 书 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ  kàn le <em> yī gè wǎnshang</em> shū.</span><span class="trans">I read books all evening.</span>
* 妈妈 看 了 <em>一 天 </em> 电视。<span class="pinyin">Māma kàn le <em>yī tiān</em> diànshì. </span> <span class="trans">Mom watched TV all day. </span>
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*他 做 了 <em>八 年</em> 经理 。<span class="pinyin">Tā zuò le <em>bā nián</em> jīnglǐ.</span><span class="trans">He worked as a manager for eight years.</span>
* 他 在 Google 做 了 <em>八 年 </em> 经理。 <span class="pinyin">Tā zài Google zuò le <em>bā nián</em> jīnglǐ. </span> <span class="trans">He worked as a manager at Google for eight years. </span>
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* 我们 坐 了 <em>十 五 个 小时 </em> 飞机 去 美国。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen zuò le <em> shí wǔ ge xiǎoshí</em>  fēijī qù Měiguó. </span> <span class="trans">We took a fifteen hour flight to the United States. </span>
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</div>
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Also note that 的 can be used in this pattern, which must be placed between the duration and the object.
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<div class="jiegou">
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Subj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + 的 + Obj.
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</div>
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Some examples:
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 +
<div class="liju">
  
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*我们 坐 了 <em>十五 个 小时</em> <strong>的</strong> 飞机 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen zuò le <em> shíwǔ gè xiǎoshí</em> <strong>de</strong> fēijī.</span><span class="trans">We took a fifteen hour flight.</span>
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*奶奶 看 了 <em>一 天</em> <strong>的</strong> 电视 。<span class="pinyin">Nǎinai kàn le <em>yī tiān</em> <strong>de</strong> diànshì.</span><span class="trans">Grandma watched TV all day.</span>
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*妈妈 洗 了 <em>一 上午</em> <strong>的</strong> 衣服 。<span class="pinyin">Māma xǐ le <em>yī shàngwǔ</em> <strong>de</strong> yīfu.</span><span class="trans">Mom washed clothes all morning.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
== To express completed definitely ==
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== To Express "Definitely Concluded" ==
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
Note that the pattern above can be used to express the duration of completed actions ''which are no longer in progress'', although strictly speaking, it's not entirely clear if the actions are still ongoing or not.  To indicate that the actions are definitely completed, a [[Time words and word order|time word]] may be inserted into the sentence to indicate that you're talking about an event in the past:
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Note that the previous pattern can be used to express the duration of completed actions ''which are no longer in progress'', although strictly speaking, it's not entirely clear if the actions are still ongoing or not.  To indicate that the actions are definitely concluded (not ongoing), a [[Time words and word order|time word]] may be inserted into the sentence to indicate that you're talking about an event in the past:
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
Subj. + [Time Word] + Verb + 了 + Duration + Obj.
 
Subj. + [Time Word] + Verb + 了 + Duration + Obj.
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 昨天 他 写 了 <em> 一 天 </em> 作业。<span class="pinyin">Zuótiān tā xiě le <em>yī tiān</em> zuò yè. </span> <span class="trans"> He did his homework all day yesterday. </span>
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*孩子们 周六 写 了 <em>一天</em> <strong>的</strong> 作业 。<span class="pinyin">Háizi men zhōuliù xiě le <em>yī tiān</em> <strong>de</strong> zuòyè.</span><span class="trans">The kids did their homework all day Saturday.</span>
* 刚才 了 <em>半 个 小时 </em> 厕所。 <span class="pinyin">gāngcái shàng le <em>bàn ge xiǎoshí</em> cèsuǒ. </span> <span class="trans">You were just in the bathroom for half an hour. </span>
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*刚才 了 <em>半 个 小时</em> 电话 。<span class="pinyin">gāngcái le <em>bàn xiǎoshí</em> diànhuà.</span><span class="trans">I was on the phone for half an hour.</span>
* 他 今天 喝 了 <em>一 晚上 </em> 酒。 <span class="pinyin">Tā jīntiān hē le <em>yī ge wǎnshang</em> jiǔ.</span> <span class="trans">He drank alcohol all night. </span>
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*我 昨天 玩 了 <em>一 晚上</em> 游戏 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zuótiān wán le <em>yī wǎnshang</em> yóuxì.</span><span class="trans">Yesterday, I played games all evening.</span>
* 昨天 了 <em> 一 个 下午 </em> 游戏。<span class="pinyin">zuótiān wán le <em>yī ge xià wǔ</em> yóu xì. </span> <span class="trans">Yesterday, I played games all afternoon. </span>
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*昨天 了 <em>一 </em> <strong>的</strong> 车 。<span class="pinyin">zuótiān kāi le <em>yī tiān</em> chē.</span><span class="trans">He drove all day yesterday.</span>
* 上 个 周末 我 和 老公 开 了 <em>三 个 小时</em> 车 回 老家。<span class="pinyin">Shàng ge zhōumò wǒ hé lǎogōng kāi le <em>sān ge xiǎoshí</em> chē huí lǎojiā. </span> <span class="trans">Last weekend, my husband and I drove three hours to our hometown. </span>
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*老板 今天 开 了 <em>一 下午</em> <strong>的</strong> 会 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn kāi le <em>yī xiàwǔ</em> <strong>de</strong> huì.</span><span class="trans">The boss had meetings all afternoon today.</span>
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</div>
 
</div>
  
 
To indicate that the action is ''definitely still in progress'', use a [[Expressing ongoing duration with double "le"|slightly different pattern]].
 
To indicate that the action is ''definitely still in progress'', use a [[Expressing ongoing duration with double "le"|slightly different pattern]].
  
==See also==
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== See also ==
  
 
*[[Expressing duration of inaction]]
 
*[[Expressing duration of inaction]]
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 118-9) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709 →buy]
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 3|58}}
* [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 90-1) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy]
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)|118-9}}
*[[40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册)]] (p. 173)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20 →buy]
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{{Source|Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition|90-1}}
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{{Source|40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册)|173}}
  
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK3}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|了|A2|Verb + 了 + Duration|他 在 北京 住 <em>了 两 年</em>。|grammar point|ASGJ36VN}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|了|A2|Verb + 了 + Duration|他 在 北京 住 <em>了 两 年</em>。|grammar point|ASGJ36VN}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing duration of inaction}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing duration of inaction}}

Latest revision as of 08:00, 4 March 2019

Whether you need to express how long you lived somewhere, how long you studied astrophysics, or how long you worked as a mime, you'll need to use 了 (le) to express that time duration.

Basic Usage

Structure

Saying how long you did something for in Chinese can seem tricky, as there is no preposition as in English. Instead it's all about word order:

Subj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + Obj.

So 了 (le) is placed after the verb (to indicate that the action is completed), followed by the duration. This is how you talk about the duration of completed actions.

Examples

  • 他 学 了 一 年 中文 。Tā xué le yī nián Zhōngwén.He studied Chinese for a year.
  • 我 看 了 一 个 晚上 书 。Wǒ kàn le yī gè wǎnshang shū.I read books all evening.
  • 他 做 了 八 年 经理 。Tā zuò le bā nián jīnglǐ.He worked as a manager for eight years.

Also note that 的 can be used in this pattern, which must be placed between the duration and the object.

Subj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + 的 + Obj.

Some examples:

  • 我们 坐 了 十五 个 小时 飞机 。Wǒmen zuò le shíwǔ gè xiǎoshí de fēijī.We took a fifteen hour flight.
  • 奶奶 看 了 一 天 电视 。Nǎinai kàn le yī tiān de diànshì.Grandma watched TV all day.
  • 妈妈 洗 了 一 上午 衣服 。Māma xǐ le yī shàngwǔ de yīfu.Mom washed clothes all morning.

To Express "Definitely Concluded"

Structure

Note that the previous pattern can be used to express the duration of completed actions which are no longer in progress, although strictly speaking, it's not entirely clear if the actions are still ongoing or not. To indicate that the actions are definitely concluded (not ongoing), a time word may be inserted into the sentence to indicate that you're talking about an event in the past:

Subj. + [Time Word] + Verb + 了 + Duration + Obj.

Examples

  • 孩子们 周六 写 了 一天 作业 。Háizi men zhōuliù xiě le yī tiān de zuòyè.The kids did their homework all day Saturday.
  • 我 刚才 打 了 半 个 小时 电话 。Wǒ gāngcái dǎ le bàn gè xiǎoshí diànhuà.I was on the phone for half an hour.
  • 我 昨天 玩 了 一 晚上 游戏 。Wǒ zuótiān wán le yī wǎnshang yóuxì.Yesterday, I played games all evening.
  • 他 昨天 开 了 一 天 车 。Tā zuótiān kāi le yī tiān chē.He drove all day yesterday.
  • 老板 今天 开 了 一 下午 会 。Lǎobǎn kāi le yī xiàwǔ de huì.The boss had meetings all afternoon today.

To indicate that the action is definitely still in progress, use a slightly different pattern.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books