Expressing "not anymore" with "le" (new version)
In a negative sentence, the sentence-final 了 (le) can take on the meaning of "(not) anymore" or "no longer." The word 已经 (yǐjīng), which means "already," may nor may not accompany it.
不 with Only 了
Structure
不 + [Verb Phrase] + 了
Examples
- 我 不 想 吃 了 。Wǒ bù xiǎng chī le.I don't want to eat anymore.
- 你 不 喜欢 我 了 吗？Nǐ bù xǐhuan wǒ le ma?You don't like me anymore?
- 你们 不 能 打 了 。Nǐmen bù néng dǎ le.You can't fight anymore.
没有 with Only 了
Structure
没(有) + [Noun Phrase] + 了
Examples
- 没有 纸 了 。
in other words, "we're out of paper"
Méiyǒu zhǐ le.
There's no paper anymore.
- 手机 没 电 了 。
Shǒujī méi diàn le.
My cell phone has run out of power.
- 他 没有 家 了。
Tā méiyǒu jiā le.
He doesn't have his home anymore.
Adding 已经 for Emphasis
已经 (yǐjīng) is optional for this pattern, but either 不 (bù) or 没有 (méiyǒu) will be needed to make the verb negative. The sentence-final 了 (le) is, of course, required.
Structure
已经 + 不 + [Verb Phrase] + 了
已经 + 没(有) + [Noun Phrase] + 了
Examples
- 我 已经 不 住 这里 了 。
Wǒ yǐjīng bù zhù zhèlǐ le.
I don't live here anymore.
- 他 已经 不 在 这儿 工作 了 。
Tā yǐjīng bù zài zhèr gōngzuò le.
He doesn't work here anymore.
- 他们 已经 不 在 一起 了 。
Tāmen yǐjīng bù zài yīqǐ le.
They are no longer together.
- 我们 已经 没有 钱 了 。
Wǒmen yǐjīng méiyǒu qián le.
We all don't have money anymore.
See also
- Expressing "already" with just "le"
- Change of state with "le" Uses of "le"
Sources and further reading
Books
- Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 68) →buy
- Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 126-9) →buy
- Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 238-99) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 217-8) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 64-5) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 8) →buy 40
- Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 239)→buy
Websites
- Chinesegrammar.info: Chinese le grammar summary (了)