Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 了
“我 回 来 了(I am back.)” When you first read or hear this sentence, you may wonder, why do I need to use “了” in this sentence?
Well, “了(le)” is one of the vital auxiliary words in Chinese. It is widely used in oral and written Chinese. However, “了(le)” has several different uses.
EXPRESSING COMPLETION WITH 了
One of the most common uses of 了(le) is to express the completion of an action. We often place了 (le) after the verb to indicate the completion. So here’s the basic structure:
PATTERN
Subject + Verb + 了
Here is where things start to get slightly more complicated.
If the verb has an object, 了 (le) can go directly after the verb to indicate completion.
There are usually four cases under this circumstance:
1. When Time is Specified
In this case, we can simply place the specified time before or after the subject:
STRUCTURE #1
Subject + Time + Verb + 了 + Object
STRUCTURE #2
Time + Subject + Verb + 了 + Object
2. When the Object’s Quantity is Specified
This pattern works if the sentence includes more information about the object, such as how many there are. The structure is as follows:
PATTERN
Subject + Verb + 了 + [Number + Measure Word] + Object
3. When 了 Comes After the Object
Even when indicating completion, the 了 (le) can sometimes go after the object. This is not a topic that can be covered in depth at the elementary level, but you should be aware that this does happen too.
PATTERN
Subject + Verb + Object + 了
PUTTING 了 AFTER CONSECUTIVE ACTIONS
So what happens if a whole string of things happened in the past?
Do you have to put a 了 (le) after each one, just like we’d put each verb in the past tense in English? Good question! The short answer is that you only need one 了 (le).
To keep things simple, we’ll make the first action “coming” or “going” somewhere, followed by another action.
For this type of “consecutive action,” 了 (le) should be placed after the final verb (or verb phrase), which marks the completion of the entire sequence. Below is the sentence structure.
PATTERN
Subject + 来 / 去 + Place + Verb / [Verb Phrase] + 了
CHANGE OF STATE WITH 了
了 (le) as a modal particle can also indicate a change, or in other words, something new has occurred. In this case, we put 了 after the adjective at the end of the sentences to represent the change of state:
PATTERN
Subject + Adjective + 了
When following a verb or verb phrase, the 了 (le) indicates a change in an overall situation. The sentence structure should be:
PATTERN
Subject + Verb + 了
For these cases, sometimes you can translate this 了 (le) as “now.” For example:
Its negative form is the same pattern with a 不 (bù) before the verb:
PATTERN
Subject + 不 + Verb + 了
The negative form indicates that something already decided has changed. What had once been green-lit is now getting a red light. And this is more like a change of plan or intent.
EXPRESSING ALREADY WITH 了
We mainly use 已经 to express “already” in Chinese. However, that feeling of “already” can sometimes be said with 了 (le) if it is used to respond to a preceding question or statement.
PATTERN
Subject + Verb Phrase + 了
Note that this pattern is usually in response to a question or statement. See the following dialogs for example:
EXPRESSING DURATION WITH 了
We can use了 (le) to express time duration in Chinese. For instance, you can use it when you want to say how long you lived somewhere, how long you studied astrophysics, or how long you worked as a mime.
To describe the period, you need to place 了 (le) after the verb (to indicate that the action is completed), followed by the duration:
PATTERN
Subject + Verb + 了 + Duration + Object
EXPRESSING “NOW” WITH 了
Actually, 现在 (xiàn zài) isn’t the only way to express “now.” You can also use了 (le) in place of the word for “now.” The structure is as follows:
PATTERN
New Situation + 了
This pattern is actually the same as change of state with “了” (you can find this usage in the third part of this article.)
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FAQs
What does 了 mean?
“了(le)” is one of the vital auxiliary words in Chinese, and doesn’t have a direct translation into English. Instead of having its own meaning, 了 is used to modify the meaning or state of a verb. For example, when placed immediately after a verb, the 了 particle can express completion, indicating that the verb is in the past tense.
What are the most common uses of 了?
Although 了 has many uses, it is most commonly used to:
– Express completion
– Express a change of state
– Express something that has already happened
– Express time duration
– Express something that is happening right now
What happens when you have multiple verbs?
You don’t need to use 了 after every verb! If you have a list of verbs, you only need to use 了 at the end of the final verb.
What are some example sentences with 了?
Here are some example sentences with 了:
– 我们到了。wǒ men dào le. We have arrived.
– 我们昨天去踢了足球。wǒmen zuótiān qù tī le zúqiú. We went to play football yesterday.
– 我买了五本书。wǒ mǎi le wǔ běn shū. I bought five books.
– 明天我要去香港了。míngtiān wǒ yào qù xiānggǎng le. I am going to Hong Kong tomorrow.
– 我们去商场买衣服了。wǒmen qù shāngchǎng mǎi yīfu le. We went to the mall to buy clothes.
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