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  <h1>Expressing ongoing duration with double "<span class="pinyinst">le</span>" "<span class="hanzist">了</span>"</h1>

  <p>The <span class="hanzi">了</span> (<span class="pinyin">le</span>) particle is used in many different ways. In this article, we will explore how to use the double <span class="hanzi">了</span> (<span class="pinyin">le</span>) to express the duration of an activity that is ongoing.</p>

  <h2 id="ongoing-duration-with-simple-verbs">Ongoing Duration with Simple Verbs</h2>

  <p>Expressing how long you did something in the past is one thing, but what if the action is still ongoing?</p>

  <p>A clarifying example (in English) is appropriate:</p>

  <ul>
    <li>I lived in Shanghai for 5 years. (concluded, not ongoing)</li>

    <li>I have lived in Shanghai for 5 years. (mostly likely ongoing)</li>

    <li>I have been living in Shanghai for 5 years. (definitely ongoing)</li>
  </ul>

  <p>This article is about expressing the third situation above, the one which is definitely ongoing.</p>

  <h3 id="structure">Structure</h3>

  <div class="deux">
    <p>Subj. + Verb + <span class="hanzist">了</span> + Duration + <span class="hanzist">了</span></p>
  </div>

  <p>The first <span class="hanzi">了</span> (<span class="pinyin">le</span>) is placed after the verb (to indicate that the action is completed), followed by the duration, followed by an additional <span class="hanzi">了</span> (<span class="pinyin">le</span>) which tells us that the action has not concluded and is ongoing. You can think of the second <span class="hanzi">了</span> (<span class="pinyin">le</span>) as communicating the meaning of "up until now."</p>

  <h3 id="examples">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">你 睡 了 一 天 了。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ shuì le yī tiān le.</span> <br/> You have been sleeping for the whole day.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他 在 北京 住 了 两 年 了。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> Tā zài Běijīng zhù le liǎng nián le.</span> <br/> He has been living in Beijing for two years.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">这 个 会，他们 开 了 两 个 小时 了。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Zhège huì, tāmen kāi le liǎng gè xiǎoshí le.</span> <br/> They've been holding this meeting for the past two hours.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 在 这儿 等 了 半 个 小时 了。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> Wǒ zài zhèr děng le bàn gè xiǎoshí le.</span> <br/> I have been waiting here for half an hour.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他们 在 酒吧 待 了 一 个 晚上 了。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> Tāmen zài jiǔbā dāi le yī gè wǎnshang le.</span> <br/> They have been staying at the bar for the whole evening.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="when-the-verb-takes-an-object">When the Verb Takes an Object</h2>

  <h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3>

  <p>Note that in the examples above, the verbs have no objects. When the verb has an object, the verb is often repeated:</p>

  <div class="deux">
    <p>Subj. + Verb + Obj. + Verb + <span class="hanzist">了</span> + Duration + <span class="hanzist">了</span></p>
  </div>

  <h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">我 学 中文 学 了 一 年 了。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le yī nián le.</span> <br/> I have been learning Chinese for a year.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他 打 电话 打 了 一 个 多 小时 了。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> Tā dǎ diànhuà dǎ le yī gè duō xiǎoshí le.</span> <br/> He has been on the phone for more than an hour.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">老板 打 游戏 打 了 一 个 上午 了。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> Lǎobǎn dǎ yóuxì dǎ le yī gè shàngwǔ le.</span> <br/> The boss has been playing video games all morning.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 洗澡 洗 了 差不多 一 个 小时 了。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> Nǐ xǐzǎo xǐ le chàbuduō yī gè xiǎoshí le.</span> <br/> You have been showering for almost an hour.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">妈妈 看电视 看 了 一 晚上 了。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Māma kàn diànshì kàn le yī wǎnshang le. </span> <br/> Mom has been watching TV all evening.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <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>Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 203-4)</li>

    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 13-4)</li>
  </ul>

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

  <ul>
    <li>Yale: <a href="http://comet.cls.yale.edu/mandarin/content/Lele/grammar/Lele.htm">The Perfective –Le了 Versus The Modal Particle Le了</a></li>
  </ul>
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