The completion of an action with the particle 了
了 is placed after a verb to express the completion of an action.
HSK 2new HSK 2Other Function Words了Verbal suffixes
How to use the particle 了
The particle is placed after a verb to show that an action has been done.
Examples
喝了两杯咖啡
(He) drank two cups of coffee
hē le liǎng bēi kāfēi
打了一个电话
(He) made a phone call
dǎ le yí ge diànhuà
Pay attention
The particle 了 expresses the result of an action. However, it is not a past tense marker.
Let’s compare: I bought some vegetables — the action is completed and there is a result. The particle 了 can be used here. I was buying some vegetables — an action was being performed, but there was no result. The particle 了 cannot be used here.
When a verb is followed by an object
If a verb is followed by an object, the object is placed after the particle 了.
Scheme
subject
predicate
了
object
Pay attention
If the verb is followed by an object, it must be extended.
The object can be expressed by the following parts of speech: 1) by a noun with a number. In some cases, the number can be expressed either by a measure word or by a numeral with a measure word.
Examples
我昨天在网上预订了两张电影票
I bought two movie tickets online yesterday
wǒ zuótiān zài wǎngshàng yùdìng le liǎng zhāng diànyǐng piào
2) by a noun with possessives. Possessives can be expressed by a noun, a personal pronoun or a proper name and should be followed by the particle .
Examples
他接了我的词典
He took my dictionary
tā jiē le wǒ de cídiǎn
3) by a noun with an attribute. In this case, the attribute is usually expressed by combining an adjective and an adverb of degree: or .
Examples
她已经写了很多汉字
She has written a lot of Chinese characters
tā yǐjīng xiě le hěn duō hànzì
4) by combining a noun and the demonstrative pronouns and .
Pay attention
A measure word is placed between the demonstrative pronoun and a noun.
Examples
我最近购买了这所房子
I recently bought this house
wǒ zuìjìn gòumǎi le zhè suǒ fángzi
5) by the enumeration of several nouns.
Examples
我们点了牛肉面和麻婆豆腐
We ordered beef noodles and mapo tofu
wǒmen diǎn le niúròu miàn hé mápó dòufu
Pay attention
If a verb with 了 is followed by an unextended object, the sentence seems incomplete.
We can use an object expressed by a noun if we separate the object using a comma and continue the sentence by listing the actions. For example, 我买了裙子 cannot be used. The correct sentence is the following:
Examples
我买了裙子，买了体恤，然后去了咖啡厅喝杯咖啡
I bought a dress and a T-shirt, and then I went to the cafe for a cup of coffee
wǒ mǎi le qúnzi, mǎi le tǐxù, ránhòu qù le kāfēitīng hē bēi kāfēi
If a predicate includes more than one verb, 了 is placed after the second verb.
Examples
他用手机拍摄了一张照片
He took a picture with his mobile phone
tā yòng shǒujī pāishè le yì zhāng zhàopiàn
Negative sentences with a completed action
Pay attention
Spoiler alert: the particle 了 cannot be used here.
In negative sentences with a completed action, the negative adverbs and are placed before the verb. In this case, the particle 了 is omitted. It cannot be used in negative sentences.
Scheme
subject
没(有)
predicate
Pay attention
In negative sentences, an object can be unextended.
Examples
我没有买东西
I didn't buy anything
wǒ méiyǒu mǎi dōngxi
我没看这本书
I didn't read this book
wǒ méi kàn zhè běn shū
If the predicate is a compound, 没(有) is placed before the first verb.
Examples
他没用手机拍摄照片
He doesn't take pictures with his mobile phone
tā méi yòng shǒujī pāishè zhàopiàn
Interrogative sentences a with completed action
Interrogative sentences are formed in the following three ways: 1) using at the end of a sentence. In this case, 了 doesn’t have to be placed after a verb.
Pay attention
In interrogative sentences, an object can be unextended.
Examples
你做作业了吗？
Have you done your homework?
nǐ zuò zuòyè le ma
他们给你这个职位了吗？
Did they offer you this position?
tāmen gěi nǐ zhè ge zhíwèi le ma
2) using 没有 after 了 at the end of a sentence.
Pay attention
In this case, 了 is retained after the verb.
Examples
你做了作业没有？
Have you done your homework?
nǐ zuò le zuòyè méiyǒu
他们给了你这个职位没有？
Did they offer you this position?
tā qù yīyuàn le méiyǒu
3) using reduplication of verbs and the negative adverb 没. If a sentence has an object, the object is only stated once after the second verb.
Pay attention
In this case, 了 is omitted.
Examples
你做没做作业？
Have you done your homework?
nǐ zuò méi zuò zuòyè
The instances when 了 is not used
The particle 了 cannot be used in the following cases: 1) when a verb expresses a state. For example:
2) when a verb expresses feelings and emotions. For example:
3) when there are modal verbs in the sentence. For example:
4) when an action happens habitually or regularly. In this case, how often an action was done is stated using the following words:
In these cases, the negative adverb is used in negative sentences (an exception is the verb 有).
Examples
以前我有车，现在没有
I used to have a car, but now I don't
yǐqián wǒ yǒu chē, xiànzài méi yǒu
对不起，我不知道
Sorry, I didn't know
duìbuqǐ, wǒ bù zhīdào
Furthermore, 了 is not placed after words like and if they are followed either by direct speech or indirect speech. For example, 他问了我们什么时候出去 cannot be used. The correct sentence is the following:
Examples
他问我们什么时候出去
He asked what time we were leaving
tā wèn wǒmen shénme shíhou chūqù
If 问 is not followed by indirect speech, 了 can be used:
Examples
她问了许多问题
She asked a lot of questions
tā wèn le xǔduō wèntí
了 in the future tense
The particle 了 can also be used in the future tense. It can be used to indicate that the first completed action is followed by the second one.
Pay attention
The second action is often preceded by the word .
Examples
下了课就去图书馆
I'm going to the library after school
xià le kè jiù qù túshūguǎn
Learn more
Expressing “still” with 还是 and 还(没)…呢Change in states with the particle 了Measure wordsThe past tense with the particle 了The modal particle 矣
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