Free · 39 sentences
How to use 了 (le)
了 says that something happened, or that something is new. Here are its uses, each answering a question learners ask about it, in sentences with pinyin and sound.
了 after a verb: it happened
了 straight after a verb says the action happened and is done. With an object, say how many or when, or the sentence hangs: 我买了三本书, 她上个月去了北京.
我买了三本书。
I bought three books.
她上个月去了北京。
She went to Beijing last month.
他们到了。
They’ve arrived.
我找到了！
I found it!
了 at the end: something is new
了 at the end of a sentence says the situation has changed: it wasn’t raining and now it is, you weren’t hungry and now you are. With 不 before the verb, it is a change of plan.
下雨了。
It’s raining (it wasn’t before).
我饿了。
I’m hungry now.
我二十岁了！
I’m twenty now!
我不买了。
I’m not buying it after all.
吃了饭 or 吃饭了?
Both are right, and they say different things. 我吃饭了, with 了 at the end, is a new situation: I’ve eaten, or, said as you get up, I’m off to eat. 我吃了饭 hangs on its own: it wants what comes next or how much. 下课了 and 下了课 work the same way.
我吃饭了。
I’ve eaten. (Or, getting up: I’m off to eat.)
我吃了饭就走。
I’ll go once I’ve eaten.
我吃了两碗饭。
I ate two bowls of rice.
下课了！
Class is over!
明天下了课我去找你。
Tomorrow after class I’ll come and find you.
了 or 过?
过 says you have done it at some time, as an experience: 我去过北京, I’ve been to Beijing (and I’m back). 了 says it happened: 他去北京了, he’s gone to Beijing (and he’s there now). 没…过 is “never”, and for everyday things 过了 says it’s already done.
我去过北京。
I’ve been to Beijing.
他去北京了。
He’s gone to Beijing.
你吃过饺子吗？
Have you ever had dumplings?
我没去过北京。
I’ve never been to Beijing.
我吃过了。
I’ve already eaten.
了 or 是…的?
了 tells someone that it happened. Once you both know it happened, ask or tell when, where, how or who with 是…的, the detail straight after 是. So it is 你昨天是几点到的？, never 你昨天几点到了？
我昨天订了机票。
I booked a plane ticket yesterday.
我是昨天订的机票。
It was yesterday that I booked the ticket.
你是怎么去的？
How did you get there?
我是坐火车去的。
I went by train.
Why no 了 after 没?
没 says it didn’t happen, so it takes no 了: 我没吃早饭, never 我没吃了早饭. “Not yet” is 还没…呢. 不 or 没 with 了 at the end is “not any more”.
我没吃早饭。
I didn’t eat breakfast.
我还没吃呢。
I haven’t eaten yet.
我不想吃了。
I don’t want to eat any more.
手机没电了。
My phone’s out of battery.
For how long: one 了 or two?
How long it went on comes after the verb and 了, never before the verb: 他学了一年中文. A second 了 at the end says it is still going on.
他学了一年中文。
He studied Chinese for a year.
我学了两年中文了。
I’ve been learning Chinese for two years now.
我在这儿等了半个小时了。
I’ve been waiting here for half an hour.
快…了, 太…了, 都…了: soon, too, already
快…了 is “about to”. 太…了 is “too”, or, said gladly, “so”. 都…了 and 已经…了 both say “already”, but 都 carries a feeling, surprise or a complaint, where 已经 just says it.
快下雨了。
It’s going to rain soon.
太贵了！
That’s too expensive!
都十二点了，你怎么还没睡？
It’s twelve already! Why aren’t you asleep?
已经十二点了，我去睡觉了。
It’s twelve already, so I’m off to bed.
了 in everyday words
Some words keep their 了 for good: 对了 starts a new topic, 算了 drops one, 完了 is “I’m done for”. In 受不了 and 了解, 了 is said liǎo, “to finish, to know”, and 太热了，我受不了了 has both.
对了，你明天来吗？
By the way, are you coming tomorrow?
对了 · by the way
算了，我们不去了。
Forget it, we’re not going.
算了 · forget it, never mind
完了，我忘带钥匙了！
Oh no, I forgot my keys!
完了 · it’s over; I’m done for
太好了，你来了！
Great, you’re here!
太好了 · great!
太热了，我受不了了。
It’s too hot, I can’t stand it any more.
受不了 · can’t stand it
我很了解他。
I know him well.
了解 · to know well, to understand
Now read them in a real story
What does 了 (le) mean?
了 has no one word in English. After a verb it says the action happened: 我买了三本书, I bought three books. At the end of a sentence it says the situation is new: 下雨了, it’s raining now. A sentence can have both: 我学了两年中文了, I’ve been learning Chinese for two years now.
Is 了 the past tense?
No. Chinese has no tense: words like 昨天 (yesterday) say when. 了 says an action is done, so it is often in the past, but it can be in the future (明天下了课我去找你, tomorrow after class I’ll come and find you), and a past habit takes none: 我以前每天跑步, I used to run every day.
What’s the difference between 我饿了 and 我很饿?
我饿了 says you have got hungry, a new situation, and is how you suggest eating. 我很饿 says how hungry you are. English says “I’m hungry” for both.
How do you pronounce 了?
As a particle it is le, with no tone. In a few words it is the verb “to finish” or “to know”, said liǎo: 了解 (liǎojiě), 受不了 (shòubuliǎo), 来不了 (láibuliǎo, can’t come).
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Answers and sentences ours, checked against the Chinese Grammar Wiki and learners’ top answers on Reddit and Stack Exchange; meanings from our own dictionary; pinyin from our own reader.