Chinese grammar · Elementary (A2)
了 at the end: change and new situations
How 了 at the end of a sentence shows a change, 不…了 for “not any more”, 要…了 for “about to”, and 了…了 for “so far”.
A change or a new situation
When 了 (le) comes at the end of a sentence, it tells the listener that the situation is new: something has changed, or the speaker has just noticed it. Compare (tiān hěn lěng), it's cold (a description), with (tiān lěng le), it's got cold (a change, for example after a warm autumn). With this 了 the adjective doesn't need (hěn).
This is a different job from 了 straight after the verb, which shows that an action is completed (see the page on 了 after the verb). Sentence-final 了 works with adjectives, verbs, ages, times and even nouns: (chūntiān le), it's spring now; (shí'èr diǎn le), it's twelve o'clock already.
- 下雨了。Xià yǔ le.It's started raining.
- 天冷了，多穿一点儿衣服。Tiān lěng le, duō chuān yìdiǎnr yīfu.It's got cold, put on some more clothes.
- 我发烧了。Wǒ fāshāo le.I've got a temperature.
- 你好一点儿了吗？Nǐ hǎo yìdiǎnr le ma?Are you feeling a bit better?
- 我儿子今年八岁了。Wǒ érzi jīnnián bā suì le.My son is eight now.
- 我现在是经理了。Wǒ xiànzài shì jīnglǐ le.I'm a manager now.
Not any more: 不…了 and 没…了
Put (bù) before the verb and 了 at the end, and the sentence means that something no longer happens, or that someone has changed their plan: (wǒ bù chōuyān le), I don't smoke any more; (wǒ bú qù le), I'm not going after all.
没…了 says that something has run out or is gone: (méi qián le), there's no money left. Plain (méiyǒu), without 了, only says that there is none.
- 我头不疼了。Wǒ tóu bù téng le.My head doesn't hurt any more.
- 今天太累了，我不去了。Jīntiān tài lèi le, wǒ bú qù le.I'm too tired today, I'm not going after all.
- 我手机没电了。Wǒ shǒujī méi diàn le.My phone's battery is dead.
- 对不起，今天的票没有了。Duìbuqǐ, jīntiān de piào méiyǒu le.Sorry, there are no tickets left for today.
- 他不是学生了，已经工作了。Tā bú shì xuésheng le, yǐjīng gōngzuò le.He isn't a student any more; he's working now.
About to happen: 要…了 and 快…了
(yào) or (kuài) before the verb, with 了 at the end, mean that something is about to happen: (yào xià yǔ le), it's going to rain; (kuài dào le), we're nearly there. 快要…了 is also common. can also go before a number or a time: (kuài shí'èr diǎn le), it's nearly twelve.
When the sentence has a time word, use 就要…了, not : (xià ge yuè jiù yào bìyè le), I'm graduating next month.
- 要下雪了。Yào xià xuě le.It's about to snow.
- 车要开了，快上车吧。Chē yào kāi le, kuài shàngchē ba.The train is about to leave, get on quickly.
- 我们快到了。Wǒmen kuài dào le.We're almost there.
- 快十二点了，睡觉吧。Kuài shí'èr diǎn le, shuìjiào ba.It's nearly midnight, time for bed.
- 他们下个月就要结婚了。Tāmen xià ge yuè jiù yào jiéhūn le.They're getting married next month.
So far: 了…了
With a length of time, 了 after the verb and 了 at the end mean that the action has lasted that long and is still going on: (wǒ zài zhèr gōngzuòle sān nián le), I've been working here for three years. With only the first 了, the action is over: (wǒ zài nàr gōngzuòle liǎng nián), I worked there for two years.
The same works with amounts done so far: (wǒ yǐjīng hēle sān bēi kāfēi le), I've already had three cups of coffee (and the day isn't over).
| Chinese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (Wǒ xuéle liǎng nián Zhōngwén.) | I studied Chinese for two years (and then stopped). |
| (Wǒ xuéle liǎng nián Zhōngwén le.) | I've been studying Chinese for two years (and still am). |
| (Wǒ kànle yìbǎi yè.) | I read a hundred pages. |
| (Wǒ kànle yìbǎi yè le.) | I've read a hundred pages so far. |
- 我头疼了两天了。Wǒ tóu téngle liǎng tiān le.My head has been hurting for two days.
- 我们等了半个小时了。Wǒmen děngle bàn ge xiǎoshí le.We've been waiting for half an hour.
- 她在上海住了十年了。Tā zài Shànghǎi zhùle shí nián le.She has lived in Shanghai for ten years.