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The structure 该…了
The structure 该…了
This structure is used to say it’s someone’s turn or time to do something.
HSK 2
new HSK 2
Structures
了
The verb
该
is often used together with
了
. This structure is used in colloquial speech.
Scheme
该
...
了
In place of the ellipsis, we can use: 1) a word denoting a person — a noun, a pronoun, a proper noun.
Scheme
该
who
了
Examples
现在
该
谁
了
?
Whose turn is it now?
xiànzài gāi shéi le
该
你
了
It’s your turn
gāi nǐ le
2) a verb or a combination of a verb and an object, which denotes an action.
Scheme
该
verb
(object)
了
Examples
该
吃饭
了
It’s time to eat
gāi chīfàn le
该给婴儿换尿布了
It’s time to change the baby’s diaper
gāi gěi yīng'ér huàn niàobù le
Sometimes, both a person and an action can be used in one sentence. It mostly happens in questions.
Pay attention
The particle
吗
is usually omitted in these type of questions.
Examples
该
谁请客
了
?
Whose turn is it to pay the bill?
gāi shéi qǐngkè le
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