Introduction
A length of time goes after the verb, not before it. 我学了三年。(Wǒ xué le sān nián.) — I studied for three years. Time when something happens comes before the verb; time how long it lasts comes after. Getting these two slots the right way round is the whole lesson.
Overview
Structure: Subj. + Verb + 了 (le) + Duration (+ 了 (le))
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| V + 了 + Duration | 我学了三年。(Wǒ xué le sān nián.) | I studied for three years. |
| V + 了 + Duration + 了 | 我学了三年了。(Wǒ xué le sān nián le.) | I've been studying for three years. |
| V + 了 + Duration + 的 + O | 我学了三年的中文。(Wǒ xué le sān nián de Zhōngwén.) | I studied Chinese for three years. |
| V + O + V + 了 + Duration | 我学中文学了三年。(Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le sān nián.) | I studied Chinese for three years. |
| 没 + V + Duration | 我三天没睡觉了。(Wǒ sān tiān méi shuìjiào le.) | I haven't slept for three days. |
When it happened, or how long it lasted — two different slots:
- 我昨天学中文。(Wǒ zuótiān xué Zhōngwén.) — When: before the verb.
- 我学了三年。(Wǒ xué le sān nián.) — How long: after the verb.
- The second 了 changes the meaning: 我学了三年 (wǒ xué le sān nián) — I studied for three years and stopped; 我学了三年了 (wǒ xué le sān nián le) — I have been studying for three years and still am.
- With an object, the verb repeats: 我学中文学了三年。(Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le sān nián.) — the same doubling as the degree complement.
Examples
我学了三年中文。
Wǒ xué le sān nián Zhōngwén.
I studied Chinese for three years.
我学中文学了三年了。
Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le sān nián le.
I've been learning Chinese for three years now.
我等了半个小时。
Wǒ děng le bàn ge xiǎoshí.
I waited half an hour.
他睡了十个小时。
Tā shuì le shí ge xiǎoshí.
He slept for ten hours.
我三天没睡好觉了。
Wǒ sān tiān méi shuì hǎo jiào le.
I haven't slept properly for three days.
你在中国住了多长时间？
Nǐ zài Zhōngguó zhù le duō cháng shíjiān?
How long did you live in China?
Usage Notes
- The duration phrase behaves like a quantity, so it needs its measure word: 三年 (sān nián)、两个小时 (liǎng ge xiǎoshí)、半个月 (bàn ge yuè). 年 (nián) and 天 (tiān) are measure words themselves; 小时 (xiǎoshí) and 月 (yuè) take 个 (ge).
- With an object you have two correct choices: repeat the verb — 我学中文学了三年 (wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le sān nián) — or insert 的 (de) — 我学了三年的中文 (wǒ xué le sān nián de Zhōngwén).
- In the negative the duration moves in front: 我三天没睡觉了。(Wǒ sān tiān méi shuìjiào le.) Nothing happened, so there is no action to hang the time on.
- Ask with 多长时间 (duō cháng shíjiān) — how long: 你学了多长时间？(Nǐ xué le duō cháng shíjiān?)
- Do not confuse this with 的时候 (de shíhou) or 以后 (yǐhòu), which mark a point in time rather than a stretch of it.