2 · Aspect: le, guo, zhe and zai
Sentence-final le: something has changed
the particle of a new situation
Le at the very end of a sentence says that a situation is new: it has changed, or it is now the case.
At the end of a sentence 了 does not belong to the verb; it comments on the whole situation and says that it is new. 下雨了 is “it has started to rain” — a moment ago it was dry. 我饿了 is “I’m hungry now”, 他是大学生了 “he is a university student now”, and even a time phrase can take it: 春天了, “it’s spring”. English often has no word for this and leaves it to the tone of voice or to “now”.
With 不 the change is that something has stopped being so: 我不去了, “I’m not going after all”, 他不抽烟了, “he has given up smoking”. This is the commonest way 了 combines with a negative, and it is the everyday way to say “no longer” and “not any more”.
After an action, sentence-final 了 reports that the event has taken place and that this is the news: 他回家了, “he has gone home”, 我吃饭了, “I’ve eaten”. Here it comes closest to the English present perfect — the event matters because of the situation it has left behind. Unlike verb + 了, it is happy with a bare object.
English speakers tend to read every 了 as a past tense and so translate 我饿了 as “I was hungry”. Read it as “now”: something is different from before. And when “not any more” is about doing something, it takes 不, not 没: 我不喝了. (没有 + a noun + 了 is different: it means that something has run out, as in 没电了.)
The form
| it has started | 下雨了。 |
| a new state | 我饿了。 |
| now it is the case | 他是大学生了。 |
| not any more | 我不去了。 |
| it has happened | 他走了。 |
| asking | 你吃饭了吗？ |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
At the very end of the sentence, le says that the situation is new.
天黑了。It has got dark.
With an adjective it means “has become”, not “was”.
这件衣服小了。This top has got too small.
With bù, le means “no longer” or “not any more”.
我不喝咖啡了。I don’t drink coffee any more.
After an action, it reports that the event has happened — and that this is the news.
他回家了。He has gone home.
Tài … le is a fixed frame for “too” or “so very”.
太好了！That’s great!
A closer look
One sound, two jobs
The 了 after a verb and the 了 at the end of a sentence are written and pronounced the same, but they do different work. Compare 我买了三本书, which reports a complete action, with 我买书了, which tells the listener the news: the books are bought, that is taken care of.
When the verb has no object and stands at the end, the two positions fall together and only one 了 is written: 他走了 is at once “he left” and “he is gone now”. Chinese never writes two 了 side by side.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the sentence starts with 别, “don’t”
the final le turns “don’t” into “stop”: 别哭了, “stop crying”.
别说了，我都知道了。Stop — I know all about it already.
The change is the one being asked for: the crying is going on, and it is to end now. Without 了, 别哭 is a general “don’t cry”.
How to spot it
- …了
- 不…了
- 太…了
- 已经…了
Example sentences
外面下雨了。It has started raining outside.
我妹妹今年十八岁了。My younger sister is eighteen this year.
他不在这儿工作了。He doesn’t work here any more.
春天了，花都开了。It’s spring, and the flowers are all out.
对不起，我来晚了。Sorry I’m late.
你的感冒好了吗？Is your cold better now?
8 more example sentences
天冷了，多穿点儿衣服。It has turned cold — put on more clothes.
我现在会开车了。I can drive now.
她不想去了。She doesn’t want to go any more.
十二点了，快睡觉吧。It’s twelve o’clock — off to bed.
我的手机没电了。My phone’s battery has run out.
他已经到公司了。He has already got to the office.
孩子们都睡了。The children have all gone to sleep.
这儿的房子越来越贵了。Houses here are getting more and more expensive.
Worth knowing (1)
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Le to close a matter
好了 and 行了 on their own close a matter or mark a new start: “right”, “that will do”. The change is that whatever came before is over.
好了，我们开始上课吧。Right, let’s start the lesson.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
“Not any more” is a change of habit or of plan, so it uses 不, the negative of habits and intentions, plus 了 for the change. 没 denies that an action took place, and a plain denial like that takes no 了.
Le at the end of a sentence means: this is new — now it is so.
Your turn
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