The 了 (le) particle is used in many different ways. In this
article, we will explore how to use the double 了 (le) to express
the duration of an activity that is ongoing.
Ongoing Duration with
Simple Verbs
Expressing how long you did something in the
past is one thing, but what if the action is still ongoing?
A clarifying example (in English) is appropriate:
- I lived in Shanghai for 5 years. (concluded, not ongoing)
- I have lived in Shanghai for 5 years. (mostly likely
ongoing)
- I have been living in Shanghai for 5 years. (definitely
ongoing)
This article is about expressing the third situation above, the
one which is definitely ongoing.
Structure
Subj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + 了
The first 了 (le) is placed after the verb (to indicate that the
action is completed), followed by the duration, followed by an
additional 了 (le) which tells us that the action has not concluded
and is ongoing. You can think of the second 了 (le) as communicating
the meaning of "up until now."
Examples
- 你 睡 了 一 天 了。Nǐ shuì le yī tiān
le.You have been sleeping for
the whole day.
- 他 在 北京 住 了 两 年
了。Tā zài Běijīng zhù le
liǎng nián le.He has been living in Beijing for two years.
- 这 个 会，他们 开 了 两 个 小时
了。Zhège huì, tāmen kāi le
liǎng gè xiǎoshí le.They've been holding this meeting for the past two
hours.
- 我 在 这儿 等 了 半 个 小时
了。Wǒ zài zhèr děng le
bàn gè xiǎoshí le.I have been waiting here for half an hour.
- 他们 在 酒吧 待 了 一 个 晚上
了。Tāmen zài jiǔbā dāi le
yī gè wǎnshang le.They have been staying at the bar for the whole
evening.
When the Verb Takes an
Object
Structure
Note that in the examples above, the verbs have no objects. When
the verb has an object, the verb is often repeated:
Subj. + Verb + Obj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + 了
Examples
- 我 学 中文 学 了 一 年
了。Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le
yī nián le.I
have been learning Chinese for a year.
- 他 打 电话 打 了 一 个 多 小时
了。Tā dǎ diànhuà dǎ le
yī gè duō xiǎoshí le.He has been on the phone for more than an hour.
- 老板 打 游戏 打 了 一 个 上午
了。Lǎobǎn dǎ yóuxì dǎ le
yī gè shàngwǔ le.The boss has been playing video games all
morning.
- 你 洗澡 洗 了 差不多 一 个 小时
了。Nǐ xǐzǎo xǐ le
chàbuduō yī gè xiǎoshí
le.You have been showering for
almost an hour.
- 妈妈 看电视 看 了 一 晚上 了。
Māma kàn diànshì kàn le yī
wǎnshang le.Mom has
been watching TV all evening.
Sources and Further
Reading
Books
Websites
Category:A2 grammar points