Library · Introduction to Chinese grammar
8 Done, changed, going on
What you'll learn How to say that something happened, that something has changed, and that something is going on right now.
✓ Read
8.1 What happened: 了 after the verb
了 straight after a verb says that it happened, and is done. English says so by changing the verb, to bought or wrote. In Chinese the verb stays as it is, and 了 follows it.
李月买了三个苹果。李月買了三個蘋果。
Li Yue bought three apples.
大卫写了十个汉字。大衛寫了十個漢字。
David wrote ten characters.
What was done usually comes with how many, or which, as 三个苹果三個蘋果 does.
王明上午买了一个新手机。王明上午買了一個新手機。
Wang Ming bought a new phone this morning.
了 says that it's done, not when. A word such as 昨天 says when, before the verb.
我昨天睡了十个小时。我昨天睡了十個小時。
I slept for ten hours yesterday.
你中午吃了什么？你中午吃了什麼？
What did you have for lunch?
Not everything in the past takes 了. What something was like needs none: 昨天很冷, it was cold yesterday.
✗昨天很冷了。
It was cold yesterday.
To say that it didn't happen, put 没有沒有 before the verb, and leave 了 out.
我今天没有喝茶。我今天沒有喝茶。
I haven't had any tea today.
✗我今天没有喝了茶。我今天沒有喝了茶。
I haven't had any tea today.
8.2 What has changed: 了 at the end
了 at the end of a sentence says that something is so now, and wasn't before: things have changed.
天气热了。天氣熱了。
It's turned hot.
李月的妹妹今年十岁了。李月的妹妹今年十歲了。
Li Yue's little sister is ten now.
我会说一点儿汉语了。我會說一點兒漢語了。
I can speak a little Chinese now.
With 不 before the verb, it says not any more.
小白不喜欢牛奶了。小白不喜歡牛奶了。
Xiaobai doesn't like milk any more.
The two 了 say different things. After the verb, it tells what happened: 我吃了两个包子我吃了兩個包子, I ate two buns. At the end, it tells how things are now: 我不吃了, I've stopped eating.
我不吃了，谢谢。我不吃了，謝謝。
I've had enough, thanks.
When the verb is the last word, one 了 does both: it happened, and so it is now.
张老师来了。張老師來了。
Teacher Zhang is here.
8.1 What happened: 了 after the verb, 8.3 Rain and snow: sentences with no one doing anything
8.3 Rain and snow: sentences with no one doing anything
English needs something before the verb even when nothing is there: it rains. Chinese doesn't. 下雨 is to rain, literally "rain comes down", and needs nothing before it. Snow comes down the same way: 下雪.
With 了 at the end, it has started.
下雨了。
It's raining.
外边下雪了。外邊下雪了。
It's snowing outside.
✗它下雨了。
It's raining.
Without 了, it says what happens, or will.
明天会下雨吗？明天會下雨嗎？
Will it rain tomorrow?
下雨的时候，小白在家睡觉。下雨的時候，小白在家睡覺。
When it rains, Xiaobai sleeps at home.
Other things that just happen, with no one doing them, work the same way.
上课了，请不要说话。上課了，請不要說話。
Class has started: no talking, please.
8.4 Going on right now: 在, 正在 and 呢
在 before a verb says that it is going on now: someone is in the middle of it.
王明在做饭。王明在做飯。
Wang Ming's cooking.
正在 says the same, a little more strongly: right now, at this moment.
张老师正在上课。張老師正在上課。
Teacher Zhang is teaching right now.
外边正在下雪。外邊正在下雪。
It's snowing outside right now.
呢 at the end of the sentence says it too. It often comes with 在, and can also say it alone.
大卫在看电视呢。大衛在看電視呢。
David's watching TV.
小白睡觉呢。小白睡覺呢。
Xiaobai's asleep.
你在做什么？——我在写汉字呢。你在做什麼？——我在寫漢字呢。
What are you doing? I'm writing characters.
English also says we're seeing a film of a plan. 在 is only for what is going on as you speak.
✗我们明天在看电影。我們明天在看電影。
We're seeing a film tomorrow.
6.2 Where, with 在, comes before it too, 3.5 And you? 呢, 9.5 Again, and later: 再