ChineseGrammarWiki/MD/A2/65.mw.html

<p>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.</p>
<h2 id="ongoing-duration-with-simple-verbs">Ongoing Duration with Simple Verbs</h2>
<p>Expressing <a href="Expressing_duration_with_&quot;le&quot;" title="wikilink"><em>how long</em> you did something in the past</a> 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 <em>definitely ongoing</em>.</p>
<h3 id="structure">Structure</h3>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Subj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + 了</p>
</div>
<p>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 &quot;up until now.&quot;</p>
<h3 id="examples">Examples</h3>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>你 睡 <em>了</em> <strong>一 天</strong> <em>了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ shuì <em>le</em> <strong>yī tiān</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">You have been sleeping for the whole day.</span></li>
<li>他 在 北京 住 <em>了</em> <strong>两 年</strong> <em>了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Tā zài Běijīng zhù <em>le</em> <strong>liǎng nián</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">He has been living in Beijing for two years.</span></li>
<li>这 个 会，他们 开 <em>了</em> <strong>两 个 小时</strong> <em>了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhège huì, tāmen kāi <em>le</em> <strong>liǎng gè xiǎoshí</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">They've been holding this meeting for the past two hours.</span></li>
<li>我 在 这儿 等 <em>了</em> <strong>半 个 小时</strong> <em>了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zài zhèr děng <em>le</em> <strong>bàn gè xiǎoshí</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">I have been waiting here for half an hour.</span></li>
<li>他们 在 酒吧 待 <em>了</em> <strong>一 个 晚上</strong> <em>了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen zài jiǔbā dāi <em>le</em> <strong>yī gè wǎnshang</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">They have been staying at the bar for the whole evening.</span></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="jiegou">
<p>Subj. + Verb + Obj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + 了</p>
</div>
<h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>我 学 中文 学 <em>了</em> <strong>一 年</strong> <em>了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué <em>le</em> <strong>yī nián</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">I have been learning Chinese for a year.</span></li>
<li>他 打 电话 打 <em>了</em> <strong>一 个 多 小时</strong> <em>了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Tā dǎ diànhuà dǎ <em>le</em> <strong>yī gè duō xiǎoshí</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">He has been on the phone for more than an hour.</span></li>
<li>老板 打 游戏 打 <em>了</em> <strong>一 个 上午</strong> <em>了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn dǎ yóuxì dǎ <em>le</em> <strong>yī gè shàngwǔ</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">The boss has been playing video games all morning.</span></li>
<li>你 洗澡 洗 <em>了</em> <strong>差不多 一 个 小时</strong> <em>了</em>。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ xǐzǎo xǐ <em>le</em> <strong>chàbuduō yī gè xiǎoshí</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">You have been showering for almost an hour.</span></li>
<li>妈妈 看电视 看 <em>了</em> <strong>一 晚上</strong> <em>了</em>。<span class="pinyin"> Māma kàn diànshì kàn <em>le</em> <strong>yī wǎnshang</strong> <em>le</em>.</span><span class="trans">Mom has been watching TV all evening.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and Further Reading</h2>
<h3 id="books">Books</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="Basic_Patterns_of_Chinese_Grammar" title="wikilink">Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar</a> (p. 68) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=1933330899">→buy</a></li>
<li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_2_(3rd_ed)" title="wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)</a> (pp. 203-4) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=0887276709">→buy</a></li>
<li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_1" title="wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1</a> (pp. 13-4) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276792/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=0887276792">→buy</a></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>
<p>        </p>
<p><a href="Category:A2_grammar_points" title="wikilink">Category:A2 grammar points</a></p>