现在 (xiànzài) isn't the only way to express "now." You'll notice that in many common expressions, 了 (le) is used in place of the word for "now."
Structure
This pattern is actually the same as change of state with "le", but the examples below are somewhat idiomatic and can also easily be confused with a direct translation of "now" in Chinese, so they get special treatment here.
Examples
- 知道 了 。This is something I didn't know before nowZhīdào le.Got it. / I see.
- 懂 了 。Dǒng le.Now I understand.
- 吃饭 了 ！Chīfàn le!Time to eat!
- 我 走 了 。Wǒ zǒu le.I'm leaving now.
- 他 来 了 。This can also mean "He's here now." Be careful! Tā lái le.He's coming over now. / He's on the way.
- 上课 了 ！ Shàngkè le! Class begins now!
- 我 去 睡觉 了 。 Wǒ qù shuìjiào le.I'm going to bed now.
- 快 点儿 ， 开会 了 ！Kuài diǎnr, kāihuì le! Hurry up, it's time for the meeting now!
- 该 你 了 。Gāi nǐ le.It's your turn now.
- 电影 开始 了 ！Diànyǐng kāishǐ le! The movie is starting now!
See Also
Sources and further reading
Books
Websites
Category: A2 grammar points