Common Usages of 了le | A Completed Action

Common Usages of 了le | A Completed Action

The particle 了le is one of the most common and often one of the trickiest words for new Chinese learners to master. That’s because it has several distinct uses. The two main ones are to indicate a change of state or to indicate the completion of an action.Let’s explore the most common usages of 了le together!

Understanding ‘了’ (le) in Chinese

Learn more in the following DAO MANDARIN lessons:

1. Indicating a Completed Action

This is probably the most well-known use of 了. It’s placed directly after a verb to show that an action has been completed. While this is often described as a “past tense” usage, a more accurate way to think about it is as a “perfect tense” — the action is finished, regardless of when it happened.

Structure & Examples

Subject + Verb + 了 + Object

我吃饭了。Wǒ chī fàn le.
I ate a meal. (The action of eating is complete.)

她看了一部电影。Tā kànle yī bù diànyǐng.
She watched a movie. (The action of watching is complete.)

他买了一本书。Tā mǎile yì běn shū.
He bought a book. (The action of buying is complete.)

Important Note: Specific Quantities

When the object has a specific quantity (like “one book” or “two glasses”), you almost always need to use 了 after the verb. For example:

我喝了两杯水。Wǒ hē le liǎng bēi shuǐ.
I drank two glasses of water.

Negating the Action

To say an action hasn’t been completed, you use 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu) before the verb. You do not use 了 in this case.

我没吃饭。Wǒ méi chī fàn.
I didn’t eat a meal.

他没买那本书。Tā méi mǎi nà běn shū.
He didn’t buy that book.

2. Indicating a Change of State or New Situation

This use of 了 is placed at the end of a sentence and signals that a situation has changed or a new one has come into being. Think of it as conveying, “something is now different” or “it wasn’t true before, but now it is.” This is often used to talk about things like a change in the weather, a new feeling, or a new skill.

Structure & Examples

Sentence + 了

下雨了。Xià yǔ le.
It started raining. (The weather has changed from not raining to raining.)

我好了。Wǒ hǎo le.
I’m better now. (The state of my health has changed.)

她会说中文了。Tā huì shuō Zhōngwén le.
She can speak Chinese now. (This is a new skill for her.)

我饿了。Wǒ è le.
I’m hungry (now).

A Key Difference:

• 我不喜欢他。 (Wǒ bù xǐhuān tā.) — I don’t like him. (A statement of your current feeling.)
• 我不喜欢他了。 (Wǒ bù xǐhuān tā le.) — I don’t like him anymore. (The 了 indicates a change of state, implying that you used to like him, but now you don’t.)

我不喜欢他。Wǒ bù xǐhuān tā.

我不喜欢他了。Wǒ bù xǐhuān tā le.

3. The Double 了 Structure (Verb + 了… + 了)

When you see a 了 after a verb and another 了 at the end of the sentence, it’s used to stress that an action has been happening for a period of time and is still ongoing.

Structure & Examples

Subject + Verb + 了 + Duration + (Object) + 了

我学中文学了三年了。Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xuéle sān nián le.
I’ve been studying Chinese for three years (and I’m still studying).

他等了半天了。Tā děngle bàntiān le.
He has been waiting for a long time (and is still waiting).

Quick Summary

• Verb + 了: The action is completed.
• Sentence + 了: A new situation or change of state has occurred.
• Verb + 了 + Duration + 了: An action started in the past and is still continuing.

The best way to get a feel for 了 is to pay attention to how native speakers use it in different contexts and practice by asking yourself: Am I talking about a change, a completed event, or a still-ongoing action? That question will usually tell you whether — and where — to place 了。

Quizzes on “了” (le)

Test your knowledge of the different uses of “了” with these quizzes!

Quiz 1: Completed Action (Verb + 了)

Which sentence correctly uses “了” to indicate a completed action in the past?

(Select the best sentence structure)

A) 我去商店了。

B) 商店去我了。

C) 我了吃饭。

Quiz 2: Change of State (Sentence + 了)

What does the particle “了” primarily indicate in the sentence?

天气冷了。(Tiān qì lěng le.)

A) The weather was cold yesterday.

B) The weather has become cold (a change of state).

C) The cold weather will end soon.

Particle 了 (le) FAQs

What are the two main grammatical functions of “了” (le)?

The particle “了 (le)” has two primary functions:

1. Change of State (Sentence-final 了):Placed at the end of a sentence, it indicates a “change in status or a new situation”. E.g., 下雨了 (Xià yǔ le) means “It’s raining now” (it wasn’t before).
2. Completed Action (Verb-affixed 了): Placed immediately after a verb, it indicates that the action has been “completed”. E.g., 我吃饭了 (Wǒ chī fàn le) means “I ate (finished the action of eating).”

How do you negate a sentence that would normally use “了”?

To negate a completed action or a change of state, you must use “没 (méi)” or “没有 (méiyǒu)” and “remove the 了”. You can *never* use 了 with 没/没有 in this context.

Affirmative: 我吃饭了 (Wǒ chī fàn le) — I ate. *Negative: 我没吃饭 (Wǒ méi chī fàn) — I didn’t eat.

Does “了” (le) always indicate past tense?

No, this is a common misconception. “了 (le)” marks *aspect* (completion or change), not “tense” (past, present, future). You can use “了” to talk about completed actions that are part of a future plan or sequence.

E.g., 等我买了票了，我们就可以走了 (Děng wǒ mǎi le piào le, wǒmen jiù kěyǐ zǒu le) — “Once I “have bought”the ticket, we can go.” (Both actions are in the future, but buying is completed first.)

What does it mean when a sentence has “Verb + 了” and another “了” at the end? (e.g., V + 了 + Object + 了)

This structure indicates a duration of time that has persisted up to the present moment.

 The first “了“ (after the verb) marks the completion of the action (e.g., starting to live here). * The second “了 (at the end) marks the change of state or new situation (the living has continued for this amount of time). Example E.g., 他住了五年了 (Tā zhù le wǔ nián le) — “He has lived here for five years (and is still living here).”

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