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  <h3 style="line-height:150%"><a name="Modal particle 了">Modal
  particle <span class="hanzi">了</span></a></h3>
  <p>This section gives a brief introduction to the use of the
  end-of-sentence particle <span class="hanzi">了</span>
  <span class="english">le</span> <span class="english">. This
  modal particle</span> <span class="hanzi">了</span>
  <span>le</span> may be used in the following situations.</p>
  <ol style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm" start="1" type=
  "1">
    <li style="line-height: 150%">To indicate change</li>
    <li style="line-height: 150%">To indicate imminent action</li>
    <li style="line-height: 150%">To indicate excessiveness (
    <a href="#%E5%A4%AA%20for%20excessiveness">Please see notes on
    <span class="hanzi">太</span>… <span class="hanzi">了</span></a>
    )
    </li>
  </ol>
  <p>1. The modal particle <span class="hanzi">了</span>
  <span class="english">le</span> can be used to indicate change,
  such as in the weather, in seasons or in time.</p>
  <p><span class="hanzi">两</span> <span class="hanzi">点</span>
  <span class="hanzi">半</span> <span class="hanzi">了</span>
  <span class="hanzi">。</span> <span class="hanzi">冬</span>
  <span class="hanzi">天</span> <span class="hanzi">了</span>
  <span class="hanzi">。</span></p>
  <p><span class="english">liăngdiănbàn <span>le</span></span>
  <span class="english"><a href=
  "Sound/liang%20dian%20ban%20le.wav"><img src=
  "../Misc/BD18249_.WMF" /></a></span> <span class=
  "english">dōngtiān <span>le</span></span> <span class=
  "english"><a href="Sound/dong%20tian%20le.wav"><img src=
  "../Misc/BD18249_.WMF" /></a></span></p>
  <p><span class="english" style="color: maroon">It’s 2:30 now.
  It’s winter now.</span></p>
  <p>The modal particle <span class="hanzi">了</span> <span class=
  "english">le</span> <span class="english">can also
  indicate</span> a change of situation, or that a situation no
  longer exists.</p>
  <p><span class="hanzi">丁</span> <span class="hanzi">老师</span>
  <span class="hanzi">去年</span> <span class="hanzi">教</span>
  <span class="hanzi">我</span> <span class="hanzi">们</span>
  <span class="hanzi">汉字</span> <span class="hanzi">现</span>
  <span class="hanzi">在</span> <span class="hanzi">教</span>
  <span class="hanzi">我</span> <span class="hanzi">们</span>
  <span class="hanzi">语法</span> <span class="hanzi">了</span>
  <span class="hanzi">。</span></p>
  <p><span class="english">dīng lăoshī qùnián jiāo wŏmen hànzì,
  xiànzài jiāo wŏmen yŭfă <span>le</span></span> <span class=
  "english"><a href=
  "Sound/ding%20laoshi%20qunian%20jiao%20women.wav"><img src=
  "../Misc/BD18249_.WMF" /></a></span></p>
  <p><span class="english" style="color: maroon">Mr Ding taught us
  Chinese characters last year. He teaches us grammar
  now.</span></p>
  <p><span class="hanzi">我</span> <span class="hanzi">不是</span>
  <span class="hanzi">老师</span> <span class="hanzi">了</span>
  <span class="hanzi">。</span></p>
  <p><span class="english">wŏ búshì lăoshī <span>le</span></span>
  <span class="english"><a href=
  "Sound/wo%20bushi%20laoshi%20le.wav"><img src=
  "../Misc/BD18249_.WMF" /></a></span></p>
  <p><span class="english" style="color: maroon">I am no longer a
  teacher.</span></p>
  <p><span class="english">The modal</span> particle <span class=
  "hanzi">了</span> <span class="english">le</span> in the above
  examples implies “now”. The following end-of-sentence
  <span class="hanzi">了</span>also has the function of bringing the
  action of “learning” into the present.</p>
  <p><span class="hanzi">我</span> <span class="hanzi" style=
  "font-family:SimSun">学</span> <span class="hanzi" style=
  "font-family:SimSun">汉</span> <span class="hanzi" style=
  "font-family:SimSun">语</span> <span class="hanzi" style=
  "font-family:SimSun">学</span> <span class="hanzi" style=
  "font-family:SimSun">了</span> <span class="hanzi" style=
  "font-family:SimSun">三</span> <span class="hanzi" style=
  "font-family:SimSun">个</span> <span class="hanzi" style=
  "font-family:SimSun">月</span> <span class="hanzi">了</span>
  <span class="hanzi">。</span></p>
  <p><span class="english">wǒ xué hànyŭ xuéle sān ge yuè
  <span>le</span></span> <span class="english"><a href=
  "Sound/wo%20xue%20hanyu%20xue%20le%203%20ge%20yue%20le.wav"><img src="../Misc/BD18249_.WMF" />
  </a></span></p>
  <p><span style="color:maroon">I have been studying Chinese for
  three months.</span></p>
  <p>Here, the modal particle <span class="hanzi">了</span>
  <span class="english">le</span> at the end of the sentence
  indicates that the action of learning is still going on. Without
  the end-of-sentence <span class="hanzi">了</span> <span>le</span>
  <span class="english">it means that the action of learning has
  been completed.</span></p>
  <p>2. The modal particle <span class="hanzi">了</span>
  <span class="english">le</span> is used as a sentence component
  to indicate that an action is about to take place. The other
  components used in this type of sentence pattern are <span class=
  "hanzi">要</span> <span lang="FR" xml:lang="FR">yào</span>
  <span class="english" style="font-family: STKaiti">,</span>
  <span class="hanzi">就</span> <span lang="FR" xml:lang=
  "FR">jiù</span> <span class="english">and</span> <span class=
  "hanzi">快</span> <span lang="FR" xml:lang="FR">kuài</span>
  <span style="font-family: STKaiti">.</span> Possible formulas for
  this speech pattern are as follows.</p>
  <p style=
  "text-indent: -18.0pt; line-height: 150%; margin-left: 54.0pt">
  <span style="font-family: Symbol">·</span> <span class=
  "hanzi">要</span>... <span class="hanzi">了</span></p>
  <p style=
  "text-indent: -18.0pt; line-height: 150%; margin-left: 54.0pt">
  <span style="font-family: Symbol">·</span> <span class=
  "hanzi">快</span>... <span class="hanzi">了</span>, <span class=
  "hanzi">快要</span>... <span class="hanzi">了</span>, <span class=
  "hanzi">快就</span>... <span class="hanzi">了</span>.</p>
  <p style=
  "text-indent: -18.0pt; line-height: 150%; margin-left: 54.0pt">
  <span style="font-family: Symbol">·</span> <span class=
  "hanzi">就要</span>... <span class="hanzi">了</span>, <span class=
  "hanzi">就快</span>... <span class="hanzi">了</span>.</p>
  <p>The imminent action is placed between <span class=
  "hanzi">要</span> <span lang="FR" xml:lang="FR">yào</span>
  <span class="english" style="font-family: STKaiti">,</span>
  <span class="hanzi">就</span> <span lang="FR" xml:lang=
  "FR">jiù</span>, <span class="hanzi">快</span> <span lang="FR"
  xml:lang="FR">kuài</span> and <span class="hanzi">了</span>
  <span>le</span>. Other possible elements that can be placed in
  this speech pattern are time words (such as winter, summer, June
  and 10 o’clock), verb-object phrases, and verbs. For
  instance,</p>
  <p><span class="hanzi">快</span> <span class="hanzi">十</span>
  <span class="hanzi">二</span> <span class="hanzi">月</span>
  <span class="hanzi">了</span> <span class="hanzi">。</span> (month)
  <span class="hanzi">快</span> <span class="hanzi">要</span>
  <span class="hanzi">冬</span> <span class="hanzi">天</span>
  <span class="hanzi">了</span> <span class="hanzi">。</span>
  <span class="english">(season)</span></p>
  <p><span lang="FR" xml:lang="FR">kuài shí èr yuè
  <span>le</span></span> <span class="english"><a href=
  "Sound/kuai%20shi%20er%20yue%20le.wav"><img src=
  "../Misc/BD18249_.WMF" /></a></span> <span lang="FR" xml:lang=
  "FR">kuàiyào dōngtiān <span>le</span></span> <span class=
  "english"><a href=
  "Sound/kuai%20yao%20dongtian%20le.wav"><img src="../Misc/BD18249_.WMF" />
  </a></span></p>
  <p><span style="color:maroon">It’s nearly December. It’s almost
  winter.</span></p>
  <p><span class="hanzi">小</span> <span class="hanzi">丁</span>
  <span class="hanzi">要</span> <span class="hanzi">来</span>
  <span class="hanzi">了</span> <span class="hanzi">。</span>
  <span class="english">(verb)</span> <span class="hanzi">就</span>
  <span class="hanzi">要</span> <span class="hanzi">开</span>
  <span class="hanzi">车</span> <span class="hanzi">了</span>
  <span class="hanzi">。</span> (verb-object)</p>
  <p><span lang="FR" xml:lang="FR">xiăo dīng yào lái
  <span>le</span></span> <span class="english"><a href=
  "Sound/xiao%20ding%20yao%20lai%20le.wav"><img src=
  "../Misc/BD18249_.WMF" /></a></span> <span lang="FR" xml:lang=
  "FR">jiù yào kāi chē <span>le</span></span> <span class=
  "english"><a href="Sound/jiu%20yao%20kaiche%20le.wav"><img src=
  "../Misc/BD18249_.WMF" /></a></span></p>
  <p><span style="color:maroon">Xiao Ding is about to arrive. The
  bus is about to leave.</span></p>
  <p style="line-height:150%"><a style="text-decoration: none"
  target="_blank" href=
  "Lessons%2014-16.htm#Modal%20%E4%BA%86">Assignments</a></p>
  <p style="line-height:150%"><br /></p>
  <p><span style="line-height: 28px;">Translate the following
  sentences into Chinese (Modal 了)</span></p>
  <p><span style="line-height: 28px;"><br /></span></p>
  <p><span style="line-height: 28px;">Xiao Ding was here a minute
  ago. He isn’t here now.</span></p>
  <p><span style="line-height: 28px;">I don’t want to stay in this
  dormitory any more.</span></p>
  <p><span style="line-height: 28px;">Gubo has told me that his
  girlfriend doesn’t love him any more.</span></p>
  <p><span style="line-height: 28px;">Stop drinking now! We are
  about to start the lesson.</span></p>
  <p><span style="line-height: 28px;">It’s nearly 5 o’clock. We are
  about to finish the lesson.</span></p>
  <p><span style="line-height: 28px;">These books are really
  expensive now!</span></p>
  <p><span style="line-height: 28px;">Stop writing now. I’m about
  to go to bed.</span></p>
  <p><span style="line-height: 28px;">Yesterday I wrote 50 Chinese
  characters. I am not going to write any more today.</span></p>
  <p><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Frequently asked
  questions</span></p>
  <p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang=
  "en-us">Click on the following links to view the
  answers</span></p>
  <ol>
    <li>
      <p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left" align=
      "center"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href=
      "http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Grammar%20exercises/Modal%20LE.htm#1.%20What%20else%20can%20%E4%BA%86%20be%20used%20for,%20apart%20from%20for%20indicating%20a%20completed%20action">
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">What else can</span>
      <span class="hanzi" style=
      "FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: TSC UKai M TT">了</span>
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">be used for, apart from for
      indicating a completed action?</span></a></p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"
      href=
      "http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Grammar%20exercises/Modal%20LE.htm#2.%20How%20is%20%E4%BA%86%20used%20for%20emphasis">
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">How is</span> <span class=
      "hanzi" style=
      "FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: TSC UKai M TT">了</span>
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">used for
      emphasis?</span></a></p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"
      href=
      "http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Grammar%20exercises/Modal%20LE.htm#3.%20Can%20%E4%BA%86%20be%20used%20to%20emphasize%20negative%20actions">
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Can</span> <span class="hanzi"
      style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: TSC UKai M TT">了</span>
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">be used to emphasize negative
      actions?</span></a></p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"
      href=
      "http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Grammar%20exercises/Modal%20LE.htm#4.%20Can%20%E4%BA%86%20be%20used%20to%20emphasize%20stative%20verbs%20or%20complements%20of%20degree">
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Can</span> <span class="hanzi"
      style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: TSC UKai M TT">了</span>
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">be used to emphasize stative
      verbs or complements of degree?</span></a></p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"
      href=
      "http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Grammar%20exercises/Modal%20LE.htm#5.%20How%20is%20%E4%BA%86%20used%20to%20express%20excessiveness">
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">How is</span> <span class=
      "hanzi" style=
      "FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: TSC UKai M TT">了</span>
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">used to express
      excessiveness?</span></a></p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"
      href=
      "http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Grammar%20exercises/Modal%20LE.htm#6.%20Can%20be%20the%20following%20expressions%20be%20placed%20before%20nouns:%20%E5%A4%AA%20stative%20verb%20%E4%BA%86;%20stative%20verb%20%E6%9E%81;%20and%20%E5%8F%AF%20stative%20verb%20%E4%BA%86">
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Can be the following
      expressions be placed before nouns:</span> <span class=
      "hanzi" style=
      "FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: TSC UKai M TT">太</span>
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">stative verb</span>
      <span class="hanzi" style=
      "FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: TSC UKai M TT">了</span>
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">; stative verb</span>
      <span class="hanzi" style=
      "FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: TSC UKai M TT">极</span>
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">; and</span> <span class=
      "hanzi" style=
      "FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: TSC UKai M TT">可</span>
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">stative verb</span>
      <span class="hanzi" style=
      "FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: TSC UKai M TT">了</span>
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">?</span></a></p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt"><span style=
      "FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href=
      "http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Grammar%20exercises/Modal%20LE.htm#7.%20Can%20the%20above%20three%20expressions%20have%20negative%20forms">
      Can the above three expressions have negative
      forms?</a></span></p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"
      href=
      "http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Grammar%20exercises/Modal%20LE.htm#8.%20When%20do%20I%20use%20%E4%BA%86%20for%20a%20change%20of%20situation,%20and%20where%20does%20it%20go%20in%20a%20sentence">
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">When do I use</span>
      <span class="hanzi" style=
      "FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: TSC UKai M TT">了</span>
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">for a change of situation, and
      where does it go in a sentence?</span></a></p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"
      href=
      "http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Grammar%20exercises/Modal%20LE.htm#9.%20Are%20the%20functions%20of%20%E4%BA%86%20always%20clear%20in%20sentences">
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Are the functions of</span>
      <span class="hanzi" style=
      "FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: TSC UKai M TT">了</span>
      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">always clear in
      sentences?</span></a></p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt"><span style=
      "FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href=
      "http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Grammar%20exercises/Modal%20LE.htm#10.%20How%20many%20sentence%20patterns%20can%20be%20used%20to%20indicate%20imminent%20action">
      How many sentence patterns can be used to indicate imminent
      action?</a></span></p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt"><span style=
      "FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href=
      "http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Grammar%20exercises/Modal%20LE.htm#11.%20Do%20these%20expressions%20indicate%20the%20same%20degree%20of%20urgency">
      Do these expressions indicate the same degree of
      urgency?</a></span></p>
    </li>
  </ol>
  <p style="line-height:150%"></p>
  <p style="line-height:150%"></p>
  <p style="line-height:150%"></p>
  <p style="line-height:150%"></p>
  <p style="line-height:150%"></p>
  <p style="line-height:150%"></p>
  <p style="line-height:150%"></p>
  <p style="line-height:150%"></p>
  <p style="line-height:150%"></p>
  <p style="line-height:150%"></p>
  <p style="line-height:150%"></p>
  <div style="mso-element: footnote-list">
    <!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br clear="all" />
    <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
    <!--[endif]-->
    <div style="mso-element: footnote" id="ftn1">
      <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a name="_ftn1" title="" style=
      "font-family: Arial; color: blue; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none; text-line-through: none"
      href="#SV" id="_ftn1"><span class=
      "MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="english">
      <!--[if !supportFootnotes]--> <span class="english" style=
      "font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Times New Roman">[1]</span> 
      <!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <span class="english">The
      term of " stative verbs " is used in Colloquial Chinese by
      T’ung and Pollard. It is described as " predicative-only
      adjectives" on page 68, in Chinese A Comprehensive Grammar by
      Yip Po-Ching and Don Rimmington and it is described as "
      adjectival verbs" on page 56, in Modern Mandarin Chinese
      Grammar by Claudia Ross and Jing-heng Sheng Ma</span></p>
    </div>
    <div style="mso-element: footnote" id="ftn2">
      <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#Co-verbs" name="_ftn2"
      title="" style=
      "font-family: Arial; color: blue; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none; text-line-through: none"
      id="_ftn2"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class=
      "english"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--> <span class="english"
      style=
      "font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Times New Roman">[2]</span> 
      <!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <span class=
      "english">Co-verb phrases are called prepositional phrases in
      Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar; prepositions in Practical
      Chinese Reader</span></p>
    </div>
    <div style="mso-element: footnote" id="ftn3">
      <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#MW" name="_ftn3" title=
      "" style=
      "font-family: Arial; color: blue; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none; text-line-through: none"
      id="_ftn3"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class=
      "english"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--> <span class="english"
      style=
      "font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Times New Roman">[3]</span> 
      <!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <span class=
      "english">Measure words are called classifiers in Modern
      Mandarin Chinese Grammar</span></p>
    </div>
  </div>
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