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<title>Expressing "not anymore" with "le"</title>
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<h1>Expressing "not anymore" with "<span class="pinyinst">le</span>" (new version)</h1>
<p>In a negative sentence, the sentence-final <span class="hanzi">了</span> (<span class="pinyin">le</span>) can take on the meaning of "(not) anymore" or "no longer." The word <span class="hanzi">已经</span> (<span class="pinyin">yǐjīng</span>), which means "already," may nor may not accompany it.</p>
<h2><span class="hanzist">不</span> with Only <span class="hanzist">了</span></h2>
<h3>Structure</h3>
<div class="deux">
<span class="hanzist">不</span> + [Verb Phrase] + <span class="hanzist">了</span>
</div>
<h3>Examples</h3>
<div class="exemple">
<ul>
<li><span class="hanzi">我 <span class="fondjaune">不</span> 想 吃 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 。</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <span class="fondjaune">bù</span> xiǎng chī <span class="fondjaune">le</span>.</span>I don't want to eat anymore.</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">你 <span class="fondjaune">不</span> 喜欢 我 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 吗？</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ <span class="fondjaune">bù</span> xǐhuan wǒ <span class="fondjaune">le</span> ma?</span>You don't like me anymore?</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">你们 <span class="fondjaune">不</span> 能 打 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 。</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <span class="fondjaune">bù</span> néng dǎ <span class="fondjaune">le</span>.</span>You can't fight anymore.<br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2><span class="hanzist">没有</span> with Only <span class="hanzist">了</span></h2>
<h3>Structure</h3>
<div class="deux">
<span class="hanzist">没(有)</span> + [Noun Phrase] + <span class="hanzist">了</span>
</div>
<h3>Examples</h3>
<div class="exemple">
<ul>
<li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">没有</span> 纸 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 。</span><br/> <span class="vert">in other words, "we're out of paper"</span><br/><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">Méiyǒu</span> zhǐ <span class="fondjaune">le</span>.</span><br/> There's no paper anymore.</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">手机 <span class="fondjaune">没</span> 电 了 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Shǒujī <span class="fondjaune">méi</span> diàn <span class="fondjaune">le</span>.</span><br/>My cell phone has run out of power.</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">他 <span class="fondjaune">没有</span> 家 <span class="fondjaune">了</span>。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Tā <span class="fondjaune">méiyǒu</span> jiā <span class="fondjaune">le</span>.</span><br/>He doesn't have his home anymore.<br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2>Adding <span class="hanzist">已经</span> for Emphasis</h2>
<p><span class="hanzi">已经</span> (yǐjīng) is optional for this pattern, but either <span class="hanzi">不</span> (bù) or <span class="hanzi">没有</span> (méiyǒu) will be needed to make the verb negative. The sentence-final <span class="hanzi">了</span> (le) is, of course, required.</p>
<h3>Structure</h3>
<div class="deux">
<span class="hanzist">已经</span> + <span class="hanzist">不</span> + [Verb Phrase] + <span class="hanzist">了</span>
</div>
<p></p>
<div class="deux">
<span class="hanzist">已经</span> + <span class="hanzist">没(有)</span> + [Noun Phrase] + <span class="hanzist">了</span>
</div>
<h3>Examples</h3>
<div class="exemple">
<ul>
<li><span class="hanzi">我 <span class="fondvert">已经</span> <span class="fondjaune">不</span> 住 这里 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <span class="fondvert">yǐjīng</span> <span class="fondjaune">bù</span> zhù zhèlǐ <span class="fondjaune">le</span>.</span><br/>I don't live here anymore.</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">他 <span class="fondvert">已经</span> <span class="fondjaune">不</span> 在 这儿 工作 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Tā <span class="fondvert">yǐjīng</span> bù zài zhèr gōngzuò le.</span><br/>He doesn't work here anymore.</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">他们 <span class="fondvert">已经</span> <span class="fondjaune">不</span> 在 一起 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Tāmen <span class="fondvert">yǐjīng</span> bù zài yīqǐ le.</span><br/>They are no longer together.</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">我们 <span class="fondvert">已经</span> <span class="fondjaune">没有</span> 钱 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <span class="fondvert">yǐjīng</span> <span class="fondjaune">méiyǒu</span> qián <span class="fondjaune">le</span>.</span><br/>We all don't have money anymore.<br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2>See also</h2>
<div class="See-also">
<ul>
<li>Expressing "already" with just "<span class="pinyin">le</span>"</li>
<li>Change of state with "le" Uses of "<span class="pinyin">le</span>"<br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2>Sources and further reading</h2>
<h3>Books</h3>
<div class="See-also">
<ul>
<li>Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 68) →buy</li>
<li>Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 126-9) →buy</li>
<li>Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 238-99) →buy</li>
<li>New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本2</span>) (pp. 217-8) →buy</li>
<li>New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本3</span>) (pp. 64-5) →buy</li>
<li>Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 8) →buy 40</li>
<li>Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (<span class="hanzi">基础汉语40课上册</span>） (p. 239)→buy<br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Websites</h3>
<div class="See-also">
<ul>
<li>Chinesegrammar.info: Chinese le grammar summary (<span class="hanzi">了</span>)<br/></li>
</ul>
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