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= Expressing duration of inaction =


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<li>[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_duration_with_%22le%22 Expressing duration with &quot;le&quot;] (A2)</li>
<li>[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_ongoing_duration_with_double_%22le%22 Expressing ongoing duration with double &quot;le&quot;] (A2)</li>
<li>[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22already%22_with_%22dou%22 Expressing &quot;already&quot; with &quot;dou&quot;] (B1)</li></ul>


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[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_duration Expressing duration], [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Referring_to_the_past Referring to the past]

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[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%B2%A1 没], [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%BA%86 了]

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Saying how long you have done something is pretty simple in Chinese. Saying how long you have ''not'' done something is just as easy.

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== Contents ==

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* [[#Structure|<span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Structure</span>]]
* [[#Examples|<span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Examples</span>]]
* [[#See_also|<span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span>]]
* [[#Sources_and_further_reading|<span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Sources and further reading</span>]]
** [[#Books|<span class="tocnumber">4.1</span> <span class="toctext">Books</span>]]


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== <span id="Structure" class="mw-headline">Structure</span> ==

Expressing how long something has ''not'' been done is slightly different to expressing the [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_duration Expressing ongoing duration with double &quot;le&quot;].

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Subj. + 已经 + Duration + 没 + Verb + 了


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So now the duration comes right after the subject and 了 is at the end of the sentence. The verb has to be [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Negation_of_past_actions negated with 没], as the action ''hasn't'' happened.

Note that 已经 can be omitted.

== <span id="Examples" class="mw-headline">Examples</span> ==

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* 他们 '''已经''' 两 天 ''没'' 吃 东西 '''了''' 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen '''yǐjīng''' liǎng tiān ''méi'' chī dōngxi '''le'''.</span><span class="trans">They have gone two days without eating anything.</span>
* 我们 '''已经''' 十 年 ''没'' 见 '''了'''。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen '''yǐjīng''' shí nián ''méi'' jiàn '''le'''.</span><span class="trans">It's been ten years since we last met.</span>
* 他 '''已经''' 一 个 星期 ''没'' 洗澡 '''了''' 。<span class="pinyin">Tā '''yǐjīng''' yī gè xīngqī ''méi'' xǐzǎo '''le'''.</span><span class="trans">He has already gone a whole week without showering.</span>
* 你 多 长 时间 ''没'' 刮胡子 '''了''' ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ duō cháng shíjiān ''méi'' guā húzi '''le'''?</span><span class="trans">How long has it been since you last shaved?</span>
* 她 半 个 月 ''没'' 出门 '''了''' 。<span class="pinyin">Tā bàn gè yuè ''méi'' chūmén '''le'''.</span><span class="trans">It's been half a month since she last left the house.</span>
* 你们 多久 ''没'' 回家 '''了''' ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen duōjiǔ ''méi'' huíjiā '''le'''?</span><span class="trans">How long has it been since you returned home?</span>
* 你 多久 ''没'' 休假 '''了''' ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ duōjiǔ ''méi'' xiūjià '''le'''?</span><span class="trans">How long has it been since your last vacation?</span>
* 买 吧 ，你 '''已经''' 一 年 多 ''没'' 买 新 衣服 '''了''' 。<span class="pinyin">Mǎi ba, nǐ '''yǐjīng''' yī nián duō ''méi'' mǎi xīn yīfu '''le'''.</span><span class="trans">Just buy it. It's been more than one year since you last bought new clothes.</span>
* 你 好像 很久 ''没'' 这么 开心 '''了''' 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ hǎoxiàng hěnjiǔ ''méi'' zhème kāixīn '''le'''.</span><span class="trans">It seems like it's been a long time since you were this happy.</span>


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In English, we may say something like, &quot;I haven't eaten since 9:00 this morning&quot; or &quot;I haven't been to China since the year 2000.&quot; Note that the Chinese do not tend to say somebody hasn't done something since a ''certain point in time''. Instead, you should either express it as a duration of time that one hasn't done something (as in the above examples), or you can say &quot;the last time somebody did something was [a certain point in time].&quot;

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* 我 已经 二十 年 ''没'' 来 中国 '''了''' 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ yǐjīng èrshí nián ''méi'' lái Zhōngguó '''le'''.</span><span class="trans">It's been 20 years since I came to China last time.</span>
* 我 ''上次'' 来 中国 ''是'' 二十 年 前 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ ''shàngcì'' lái Zhōngguó ''shì'' èrshí nián qián.</span><span class="trans">The last time I came to China was twenty years ago.</span>


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== <span id="See_also" class="mw-headline">See also</span> ==

* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_duration Expressing duration]
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_ongoing_duration_with_double_%22le%22 Expressing ongoing duration with double &quot;le&quot;]
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Uses_of_le Uses of le]

== <span id="Sources_and_further_reading" class="mw-headline">Sources and further reading</span> ==

=== <span id="Books" class="mw-headline">Books</span> ===

* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_2_(3rd_ed) Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)] (pp. 231-2) [http://amzn.to/2femBuy →buy]

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