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Duration with 了

HSK 3
  • Time

Structure (结构 jiégòu)

Completion: Verb了Time period. In progress: Verb了Time period了.

Meaning (意思 yìsi)

Use '了' with a duration of time to express how long an action has lasted, which may still be ongoing.

Explanation (解释 jiěshì)

When talking about how long an action lasted, we use 了 with a time-duration expression. There are two main cases:

  1. Completed action: Verb + 了 + Duration. Example: 我学了一年汉语 (I studied Chinese for one year, and no longer do so).
  2. Ongoing action: Verb + 了 + Duration + 了. Example: 我学了一年汉语了 (I have been studying Chinese for one year, and am still studying). The second 了 at the end of the sentence is the indicator that the action is still continuing.

Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)

  1. 他学了两年中文了。
    繁: 他學了兩年中文了。Tā xué le liǎng nián Zhōngwén le.

    He has been studying Chinese for two years.

  2. 我等了你半个小时了。
    繁: 我等了你半個小時了。Wǒ děng le nǐ bàn ge xiǎoshí le.

    I have been waiting for you for half an hour.

  3. 爸爸工作了三十年了。
    Bàba gōngzuò le sān shí nián le.

    My father has been working for thirty years.

  4. 他们看了三个小时电视了。
    繁: 他們看了三個小時電視了。Tāmen kàn le sān ge xiǎoshí diànshì le.

    They have been watching TV for three hours.

  5. 我在北京住了一年。
    Wǒ zài Běijīng zhù le yì nián.

    I have lived in Beijing for one year.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong:我学一年汉语了。
    Correct:我学了一年汉语了。

    There must be 了 immediately after the verb to indicate the beginning of this duration of time.

  • Wrong:我学了一年汉语。
    Correct:我学了一年汉语了。

    If the action is still ongoing, 了 must be added at the end of the sentence. Omitting final 了 means the action has concluded.

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