eric
/
ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
							123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384
							<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE html>

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
  <meta name="generator" content="HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Linux version 5.2.0"/>
  <title>Expressing "now" with "le"</title>
  <link href="../Styles/main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"/>
</head>

<body>
  <h1>Expressing "now" with "<span class="pinyinst">le</span>" "<span class="hanzist">了</span>"</h1>

  <p><span class="hanzi">现在</span> (<span class="pinyin">xiànzài</span>) isn't the only way to express "<b>now</b>." You'll notice that in many common expressions, <span class="hanzi">了</span> (<span class="pinyin">le</span>) is used in place of the word for "<b>now</b>."</p>

  <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2>

  <p>This pattern is actually the same as change of state with "<span class="pinyin">le</span>", 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.</p>

  <div class="deux">
    <p>[New Situation] + <span class="hanzist">了</span></p>
  </div>

  <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">知道 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 。</span><br/><span class="vert">This is something I didn't know before now</span><br/><span class="pinyin"> Zhīdào <span class="fondjaune">le</span>.</span><br/> Got it. / I see.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">懂 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Dǒng <span class="fondjaune">le</span>.</span><br/> Now I understand.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">吃饭 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> ！</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Chīfàn <span class="fondjaune">le</span> </span> <br/>Time to eat!</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 走 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ zǒu <span class="fondjaune">le</span>.</span><br/> I'm <span class="fondjaune">le</span>aving now.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他 来 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 。</span><br/><span class="vert">This can also mean "He's here now." Be careful!</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">Tā lái <span class="fondjaune">le</span>.</span><br/> He's coming over now. / He's on the way.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">上课 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> ！</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">Shàngkè <span class="fondjaune">le</span>!</span><br/> Class begins now!</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 去 睡觉 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 。</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ qù shuìjiào <span class="fondjaune">le</span>.</span><br/> I'm going to bed now.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">快 点儿 ， 开会 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> ！</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Kuài diǎnr, kāihuì <span class="fondjaune">le</span> </span> <br/>Hurry up, it's time for the meeting now!</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">该 你 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Gāi nǐ <span class="fondjaune">le</span>.</span><br/> It's your turn now.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">电影 开始 <span class="fondjaune">了</span> ！</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Diànyǐng kāishǐ <span class="fondjaune">le</span>!</span><br/> The movie is starting now!</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="see-also">See Also</h2>

  <ul>
    <li><a href="Change_of_state_with_&quot;le&quot;" title="wikilink">Change of state with "le"</a></li>

    <li><a href="Uses_of_&quot;le&quot;" title="wikilink">Uses of "le"</a></li>
  </ul>

  <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>

  <h3 id="books">Books</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 68)</li>

    <li>Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 126-9)</li>

    <li>Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 238-99)</li>

    <li>New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本2</span>) (pp. 217-8)</li>

    <li>New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本3</span>) (pp. 64-5)</li>

    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 8)</li>

    <li>40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (<span class="hanzi">基础汉语40课上册</span>） (p. 239)</li>
  </ul>

  <h3 id="websites">Websites</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>Chinesegrammar.info: <a href="http://chinesegrammar.info/particles/le-grammar-summary/">Chinese le grammar summary (了)</a></li>
  </ul>
</body>
</html>