Introduction
了 (le) at the end of a sentence announces that something is new: it wasn't like this before, and now it is. 下雨了。(Xià yǔ le.) — It's started raining. Nothing has been "completed" here — this 了 is about change, not completion.
Overview
Structure: [New situation] + 了 (le)
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Verb phrase + 了 | 下雨了。(Xià yǔ le.) | It's started raining. |
| Adjective + 了 | 天黑了。(Tiān hēi le.) | It's got dark. |
| Number + 了 | 他三岁了。(Tā sān suì le.) | He's three now. |
| 太 + Adj + 了 | 太好了！(Tài hǎo le!) | That's great! |
| S + 会 / 能 + V + 了 | 我会游泳了。(Wǒ huì yóuyǒng le.) | I can swim now. |
了1 (le) vs 了2 (le) — where it sits decides what it means:
- After the verb = the action is finished: 我吃了饭。(Wǒ chī le fàn.) — I ate.
- At the end of the sentence = the situation is new: 我吃饭了。(Wǒ chī fàn le.) — I've eaten now / I'm eating now.
- With no verb at all it can only be the change 了: 春天了。(Chūntiān le.) — Spring has arrived.
- 我会游泳。(Wǒ huì yóuyǒng.) — I can swim. ／ 我会游泳了。(Wǒ huì yóuyǒng le.) — I can now — I've learnt.
Examples
下雨了。
Xià yǔ le.
It's started raining.
天黑了，我们回家吧。
Tiān hēi le, wǒmen huí jiā ba.
It's got dark, let's go home.
我女儿五岁了。
Wǒ nǚ'ér wǔ suì le.
My daughter is five now.
太好了！
Tài hǎo le!
That's great!
我会开车了。
Wǒ huì kāichē le.
I can drive now.
他不是学生了，他工作了。
Tā bú shì xuéshēng le, tā gōngzuò le.
He isn't a student any more, he's working.
Usage Notes
- This 了 needs no verb: 十二点了。(Shí'èr diǎn le.) — It's twelve o'clock already. 春天了。(Chūntiān le.) — It's spring.
- With ages and quantities it means "already / by now": 他三岁了。(Tā sān suì le.) — He's three now.
- 太……了 (tài … le) is a fixed exclamation frame: 太贵了！(Tài guì le!) — Way too expensive! 太累了！(Tài lèi le!) — So tired!
- Habits never take 了: 我每天喝咖啡。(Wǒ měitiān hē kāfēi.) — I drink coffee every day. Nothing changed, so no 了.
- To say a change has not happened, use 还没……(呢) (hái méi … ne): 还没下雨呢。(Hái méi xià yǔ ne.) — It hasn't started raining yet.