Grammar set - 4 Flashcards
Superlative “zui”
=》The most common way to form a superlative (best, worst, biggest, smallest, etc.) in Chinese is to use 最 (zuì) before an adjective (and a few select verbs).
最 (zuì) with Adjectives
=》And now you have the superlative form of the adjective. Unlike in English, this structure is consistent for all adjectives in Chinese. The inconsistencies in English sometimes confuse beginners, so note in the examples below how to say “best,” “worst,” “least,” and “most” (meaning “greatest number”).
% Structure = 最 + Adj.
Examples
哪 个 老师 最 好？Nǎge lǎoshī zuì hǎo? Which teacher is the best?
你们 家 谁 最 漂亮？Nǐmen jiā shéi zuì piàoliang? In your family who is the most beautiful?
Zuckerberg 最 有钱。Zuckerberg zuì yǒuqián. Zuckerberg is the richest.
汉语 最 难。Hànyǔ zuì nán. The Chinese language is the most difficult.
这 种 事 最 麻烦。Zhè zhǒng shì zuì máfan.These kind of things are the most troublesome.
Optional 了 (le)
=》Occasionally you’ll also see a 了 (le) added after the adjective. This simply adds emphasis to the “-est.”
% Structure = 最 + Adj. (+ 了)
Examples # 小狗 最 可爱 了。(This 了 is optional)Xiǎogǒu zuì kěài le. The puppy is the cutest.
四川 菜 最 辣 了。(This 了 is optional)Sìchuān cài zuì là le. Sichuan food is the spiciest.
我 的 中国 朋友 最 热情 了。(This 了 is optional)Wǒ de Zhōngguó péngyou zuì rèqíng le.My Chinese friend is the most enthusiastic.
他 的 学生 最 认真 了。(This 了 is optional)Tā de xuésheng zuì rènzhēn le. His student is the most serious.
黄山 的 风景 最 美 了。 (This 了 is optional)Huángshān de fēngjǐng zuì měi le. Huang Mountain’s landscape is the most beautiful.
最 (zuì) with Psychological Verbs
=》 最 (zuì) can also come before psychological verbs, to express what one “most likes,” “most hates,” etc. It won’t make sense if you try to use 最 (zuì) with non-psychological verbs, though.
% Structure = 最 + [Psychological Verb] + Obj. (+ 了)
》Note the 了 (le) on the end there! It's not strictly required, but you'll hear it a lot in spoken Chinese.
Examples
老板 最 喜欢 你 了！Lǎobǎn zuì xǐhuan nǐ le! The boss likes you the best!
你 最 怕 什么？Nǐ zuì pà shénme? What do you most fear?
我 最 爱 中国 菜。Wǒ zuì ài Zhōngguó cài. I love Chinese food most.
谁 最 了解 你？Shéi zuì liǎojiě nǐ? Who knows you best?
她 最 讨厌 抽烟 的 男人 了。Tā zuì tǎoyàn chōuyān de nánrén 了.She most hates men that smoke.
》Although you could translate it as "like the best," pairing 最 (zuì) with the psychological verb 喜欢 (xǐhuan) is also a great way to talk about one's "favorite."
你 最 喜欢 什么 颜色？Nǐ zuì xǐhuan shénme yánsè? What is your favorite color?
你 最 喜欢 什么 动物？Nǐ zuì xǐhuan shénme dòngwù? What is your favorite animal?
Before a specific time with “yiqian”
=》As well as talking about the past in general, you can use 以前 (yǐqián) to talk about things that happened before a specific time.
% Structure =Time / Verb + 以前, ….
》The time can be a specific time, or an action (technically, "when the action was done").
Examples
吃饭 以前 ，你 洗 手 了 吗？Chīfàn yǐqián, nǐ xǐ shǒu le ma?Did you wash your hands before eating?
睡觉 以前 ，不要 吃 东西。Shuìjiào yǐqián, bùyào chī dōngxi.Don’t eat anything before you go to sleep.
两 年 以前 ， 你 认识 他 吗？ Liǎng nián yǐqián, nǐ rènshi tā ma? Did you know him two years ago?
星期五 以前 ，你 要 做 完 这些 工作。Xīngqīwǔ yǐqián, nǐ yào zuò wán zhèxiē gōngzuò.You need to finish this work before Friday.
上 大学 以前，你 来 过 上海 吗？Shàng dàxué yǐqián, nǐ lái guo shànghǎi ma? Before you went to college, did you ever come to Shanghai?
结婚 以前 ，你 应该 先 买 房子。Jiéhūn yǐqián, nǐ yīnggāi xiān mǎi fángzi.Before getting married, you should first buy a house.
二十 年 以前，这里 是 一 个 公园。Èrshí nián yǐqián, zhèlǐ shì yī gè gōngyuán.Twenty years ago, this was a park.
几 个 月 以前 ，他们 分手 了。Jǐ gè yuè yǐqián, tāmen fēnshǒu le.They broke up a few months ago.
毕业 以前，我 要 找到 工作。Bìyè yǐqián, wǒ yào zhǎodào gōngzuò.I need to find a job before graduation.
当 总统 以前，Obama 没有 白 头发。Dāng zǒngtǒng yǐqián, Obama méiyǒu bái tóufa.Before he became the president, Obama didn’t have white hair.
Expressing “before” in general with “yiqian”
》To talk about things that previously occurred, you can use the word 以前 (yǐqián). You can use this structure to talk about actions that happened at some unspecified time in the past.
》One way to use 以前 (yǐqián) is to start the sentence with it. This is like starting off a sentence in English with “before…” or “in the past…”
% Structure = 以前 + Subj. + Verb + Obj.
》You can also move 以前 (yǐqián) to right after the subject, and it's also correct.
% Structure = Subj. + 以前 + Verb + Obj.
Examples
以前 我 不 会 说 中文 。 Yǐqián wǒ bù huì shuō Zhōngwén.Before, I could not speak Chinese.
你 以前 住 在 哪儿？ Nǐ yǐqián zhù zài nǎr?Before, where did you live?
以前 我 不 认识 他。 Yǐqián wǒ bù rènshi tā.Before, I didn’t know him.
以前 他 是 我们 的 客户 吗？ Yǐqián tā shì wǒmen de kèhù ma? Was he our client before?
以前 他 是 一 个 服务员，现在 是 老板。Yǐqián tā shì yī gè fúwùyuán, xiànzài shì lǎobǎn.Before, he was a waiter. Now, he is a boss.
我 父母 以前 都 是 老师。Wǒ fùmǔ yǐqián dōu shì lǎoshī.Before, both of my parents were teachers.
爸爸 以前 很 喜欢 抽烟。Bàba yǐqián hěn xǐhuan chōuyān.Before, dad really liked smoking.
姐姐 以前 有 一 个 很有钱 的 男朋友。Jiějie yǐqián yǒu yī gè hěn yǒuqián de nánpéngyou.My older sister had a very rich boyfriend before.
他们 以前 没有 钱，可是 很 快乐。Tāmen yǐqián méiyǒu qián, kěshì hěn kuàilè.They didn’t have much money before, but they were happy.
我男朋友 以前 在 美国 工作，现在 在 中国 工作。Wǒ nánpéngyou yǐqián zài Měiguó gōngzuò, xiànzài zài Zhōngguó gōngzuò.Before, my boyfriend worked in the USA. Now, he works in China.
Expressing “when” with “de shihou”
》In English, if we are reflecting on a past time, we often say, “when I was a child” or “when I was in school.” In Chinese, this can also be expressed by using 的时候 (de shíhou).
》To talk about events that happened at or during a particular time, 的时候 (de shíhou) is often used. This is simply attached to the word or phrase indicating the time:
% Structure = (Subj.) + Verb / Adj. + 的 时候, ….
% Structure = Time Word + 的 时候, ….
Examples
你 不 在 的时候，我 会 想 你。Nǐ bù zài de shíhou, wǒ huì xiǎng nǐ.When you are not here, I’ll miss you.
我 上 大学 的时候，有 很 多 朋友。 Wǒ shàng dàxué de shíhou, yǒu hěn duō péngyou.When I was in college, I had a lot of friends.
上课 的时候 不要 吃 东西。Shàngkè de shíhou bùyào chī dōngxi.Don’t eat when you are in class.
老板 工作 的时候 喜欢 喝 咖啡。Lǎobǎn gōngzuò de shíhou xǐhuan hē kāfēi.When the boss works, he likes to drink coffee.
我 生气 的时候，请 你 不要 笑。Wǒ shēngqì de shíhou, qǐng nǐ bùyào xiào.Please don’t laugh when I’m angry.
妈妈 不 在 家 的时候，我 自己 做饭。Māma bù zài jiā de shíhou, wǒ zìjǐ zuòfàn.When mom is not home, I cook for myself.
开会 的时候 不要 聊天。Kāihuì de shíhou bùyào liáotiān.Don’t chat when you are in a meeting.
吃 东西 的时候 不要 说话。Chī dōngxi de shíhou bùyào shuōhuà.Don’t talk when eating.
你 开车 的时候 会 打 电话 吗？Nǐ kāichē de shíhou huì dǎ diànhuà ma? Do you talk on the phone when you’re driving?
走路 的时候 不要 玩手机。 Zǒulù de shíhou bùyào wán shǒujī.Don’t play with your phone while walking.
Expressing “just now” with “gangcai”
=》In order to say that something “just now” occurred, use the time noun 刚才 (gāngcái). It can be placed in front of the verb or the subject of a statement.
》This grammar structure is pretty straightforward. Similar to the English "just now," you can put 刚才 (gāngcái) right before the verb in a sentence. It can also come before or after the subject.
% Structure = 刚才 + Verb
Examples
你 刚才 说 什么 了？Nǐ gāngcái shuō shénme le? What did you just say?
刚才 谁 来 了？Gāngcái shéi lái le? Who came just now?
刚才 你 去 哪儿 了？Gāngcái nǐ qù nǎr le? Where did you go just now?
刚才 我 去 洗手间 了。Gāngcái wǒ qù xǐshǒujiān le.I just went to the restroom.
老板 刚才 生气 了。Lǎobǎn gāngcái shēngqì le.The boss just got angry.
你们 刚才 在 看 什么？Nǐmen gāngcái zài kàn shénme? What were you looking at just now?
不好意思，我 刚才 出去 了。Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ gāngcái chūqù le.I’m sorry, I just now stepped out.
宝宝 刚才 哭 了。Bǎobao gāngcái kū le.The baby just cried.
他们 刚才 去 开会 了。Tāmen gāngcái qù kāihuì le.They just went to a meeting.
刚才 有 人 找 你。Gāngcái yǒu rén zhǎo nǐ.Just now, there was someone looking for you.
》Note that for all of those cases, we're talking about something that happened just now, as in, within the past 5 minutes or so. If you're talking about something that "just happened" yesterday or last week, don't use 刚才 (gāngcái), use 刚 (gāng).
After a specific time with “yihou”
=》 Just as 以前 (yǐqián) can be used to describe the events before a specific time, 以后 (yǐhòu) can be used to describe the events after a specific time.
》This grammar structure is similar to the English "after such-and-such, something happens." It's quite simple, all you have to do is put the "after" after the time words or time phrase.
% Structure = Time / Verb + 以后, ….
》The time can be a time or date, or an action or event. It may or may not be in the future. Examples
下午 三点 以后， 我 不 在 家。 Xiàwǔ sāndiǎn yǐhòu, wǒ bù zài jiā.After three p.m., I will not be at home.
来 中国 以后， 她 认识 了 她 的 老公。 Lái Zhōngguó yǐhòu, tā rènshi le tā de lǎogōng.After coming to China, she met her husband.
她 一个月 以后 开始 上班。Tā yī gè yuè yǐhòu kāishǐ shàngbān.After one month, she will start working.
吃 完 午饭 以后 ， 我们 要 开会。Chī wán wǔfàn yǐhòu, wǒmen yào kāihuì.We are going to have a meeting after we finish lunch.
几年 以后 ，我们 公司 会 更 大。Jǐ nián yǐhòu, wǒmen gōngsī huì gèng dà.In a few years, our company will be even bigger.
老板 半个小时 以后 回来。Lǎobǎn bàn gè xiǎoshí yǐhòu huílái.After half an hour, the boss will return.
下班 以后你 想 跟 我们 一起 去 打球 吗? Xiàbān yǐhòu, nǐ xiǎng gēn wǒmen yīqǐ qù dǎqiú ma? After we get off work, would you like to go play ball with us?
老板 来 了 以后 ，大家 都 不 说话 了。 Lǎobǎn lái le yǐhòu, dàjiā dōu bù shuōhuà le.After the boss came, everyone stopped talking.
你 到家 以后 给 我 打电话。Nǐ dào jiā yǐhòu gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.After you get home, call me.
结婚 以后 爸爸 不 喝酒 了。 Jiéhūn yǐhòu bàba bù hējiǔ le.After he got married, dad stopped drinking.
》Note that this use of 以后 (yǐhòu) is often shortened to 后 (hòu).
In the future in general with “yihou”
=》 Similar to talking about things in the past, talking about things in the future is very straight forward. You can use the simple but useful 以后 (yǐhòu), which also means “later.”
》To talk about things happening at some unspecified time in the future, you can use 以后 (yǐhòu). The structure is:
% Structure = 以后 + Subj. + Verb + Obj.
》You can also move 以后 (yǐhòu) to right after the subject, and it's also correct.
% Structure = Subj. + 以后 + Verb + Obj.
》This can be used to talk about actions in the future, or to talk about events that happened after other events in a story.
Examples
》In the examples below, the translation "in the future" is used, because using "later" for 以后 (yǐhòu) either sounds weird, or makes it sound like it's going to happen really soon (just a little later), rather than at some indefinite point in the future, which is what is meant.
以后 你们 会 想我 吗？ Yǐhòu nǐmen huì xiǎng wǒ ma? In the future, will you miss me?
以后 你 想 来 中国 吗？ Yǐhòu nǐ xiǎng lái Zhōngguó ma? In the future, do you want to come to China?
我 以后 不 喝酒 了。 Wǒ yǐhòu bù hējiǔ le.I will not drink alcohol in the future.
我们 以后 不 在 这里 工作 了。Wǒmen yǐhòu bù zài zhèlǐ gōngzuò le.We will not work here in the future.
你儿子 以后 想 做 什么？Nǐ érzi yǐhòu xiǎng zuò shénme? In the future, what does your son want to do?
以后 你们 想 去哪儿 工作？ Yǐhòu nǐmen xiǎng qù nǎr gōngzuò? In the future, where would you like to work?
以后 我们 会 有 一些 新 的 同事。Yǐhòu wǒmen huì yǒu yīxiē xīn de tóngshì.We will have some new co-workers in the future.
以后 你 可以 住 在 这里。Yǐhòu nǐ kěyǐ zhù zài zhèlǐ.In the future, you can live here.
他们 以后 会 结婚 吗？Tāmen yǐhòu huì jiéhūn ma? Will they get married in the future?
你 以后 不 要 跟 他 见面 了。Nǐ yǐhòu bùyào gēn tā jiànmiàn le.In the future, stop seeing him.
Approximating with sequential numbers
=》Expressing approximate numbers in Chinese is quite simple, and this article introduces one of the most basic ways to do so.
》An easy way to express approximate numbers is to use two sequential numbers in a row.
% Structure = Number + (Number + 1)
》This is similar to saying "x or y" or "about x" in English.
Examples
一 两 天 yī liǎng tiānone or two days
三 四 个 人 sān sì gè rénthree or four people
老板 昨天 喝 了七 八 瓶 胡萝卜 汁 。 Lǎobǎn zuótiān hē le qī bā píng húluóbo zhī.The boss drank 7 or 8 bottles of carrot juice yesterday.
这 个 词 我们 学 过 两 三 次 了 。 Zhège cí wǒmen xué guo liǎng sān cì le.We’ve studied this word two or three times now.
我 等 了 你 三 四 个 小时。 Wǒ děng le nǐ sān sì gè xiǎoshí.I waited for you for three or four hours.
他们 七 八 年 没 见面 了 。 Tāmen qī bā nián méi jiànmiàn le.They haven’t seen each other for seven or eight years.
要 做 完 这 个 工作 需要 一 两 个 月 。 Yào zuò wán zhège gōngzuò xūyào yī liǎng gè yuè.To complete this work, you need one to two months.
他们 家 的 孩子五 六 岁 了 吧 。 Tāmen jiā de háizi wǔ liù suì le ba.Their child is about five or six years old.
这 件 衣服 只 要 七 八 十 块 钱 。 Zhè jiàn yīfu zhǐ yào qī bā shí kuài qián.This clothing only costs seventy to eighty kuai.
这 几 本 书 花 了 我 两 三 百。 Zhè jǐ běn shū huā le wǒ liǎng sān bǎi.These few books cost me two or three hundred kuai.
Structure of times (advanced)
=》If you already know the basics of how to tell time in Chinese, you may want to get a little more specific or sophisticated, using words like 分 (fēn) and 刻 (kè).
1）Minutes Past the Hour
=》Minutes are marked with 分 (fēn) (short for 分钟 (fēnzhōng)). The way to include them in the time depends on whether they’re minutes past or to the hour.
》Minutes past the hour are expressed after 点 (diǎn) in the same way as half and quarter hours. Minutes Less Than 10
%Structure = x 点 y 分
Examples
一 点 四 十 分yī diǎn sìshí fēn1:40
两 点 十 分 liǎng diǎn shí fēn2:10
三 点 二 十 分 sān diǎn èrshí fēn3:20
七 点 十 五 分 qī diǎn shíwǔ fēn7:15
九 点 五 十分 jiǔ diǎn wǔshí fēn9:50
2）Minutes Greater Than 10
=》In Chinese, when the minute is under 10, the word 零 (líng) is often used after 点 (diǎn). For example, 2:07 would be said as “两点零七分” (liǎng diǎn líng qī fēn). However, note that when speaking, it is very common for most Chinese people take out the “分 (fēn)” at the end of the time.
% Structure = x 点 零 y 分
Examples
两 点 零 九分 liǎng diǎn líng jiǔ fēn2:09
三 点 零 八 分 sān diǎn líng bā fēn3:08
五 点 零 三 分 wǔ diǎn líng sān fēn5:03
七 点 零 一 分qī diǎn líng yī fēn7:01
八 点 零 五 分 bā diǎn líng wǔ fēn8:05
3）Quarter Hours
=》In Chinese, quarter hours are only expressed on the 1st quarter x:15, and the third quarter x:45. Like half hours, they also come after the word 点 (diăn). We use the word 刻 (kè) to express “quarter hour.”
% Structure = x 点 y 刻
Examples
九 点 一 刻jiǔ diǎn yī kè9:15
十 二 点 一 刻shí’èr diǎn yī kè12:15
六 点 三 刻liù diǎn sān kè6:45
》You can totally just use 十五分 (shíwǔ fēn) for "15 minutes (past)" or 四十五分 (sìshí-wǔ fēn) for "45 minutes (past)" if you're lazy, though. It also works! Minutes to the Hour
4）Minutes to the hour use this structure:
=》When expressing how many minutes it will be till the next full hour, you put 差 (chā) in front of the time expression.
% Structure = 差 + Minutes + 分 + Hour + 点
or
% Structure = Hour + 点 + 差 + Minutes + 分
Examples
差 五 分 三 点chā wǔ fēn sān diǎnfive minutes til 3 o’clock
十二 点 差 三 分 shí’èr diǎn chā sān fēn three minutes til 12 o’clock
差 五 分 八 点 半chā wǔ fēn bā diǎn bànfive minutes til 8:30
十 点 差 两 分 shí diǎn chā liǎng fēn two minutes til 10:00
Using “ji” to mean “several”
=》One of the definitions of the common character 几 (jǐ) is “several,” “a couple” or “a few.” It’s an uncertain number that is at least more than one, and probably less than five, but definitely less than ten.
1）几 (jǐ) as “a Few”
=》The simplest way to use 几 (jǐ) to mean “a few” is to use it directly with a measure word.
% Structure = 几 + Measure Word + Noun
Examples
桌子 上 有 几 本 书。Zhuōzi shàng yǒu jǐ běn shū.There are a few books on the table.
只有 几 个 人 去 过 那 个 地方。Zhǐyǒu jǐ gè rén qù guo nàge dìfang.Only a few people have been to that place.
从 上海 到 东京 坐 飞机 只 要 几 个 小时。Cóng Shànghǎi dào Dōngjīng zuò fēijī zhǐ yào jǐ gè xiǎoshí.Flying from Shanghai to Tokyo only takes a few hours.
我 每 天 都 要 喝 几 杯 咖啡。Wǒ měi tiān dōu yào hē jǐ bēi kāfēi.Every day I have to drink a couple cups of coffee.
老板 今天 开 了 几 个 重要 的 会。Lǎobǎn jīntiān kāi le jǐ gè zhòngyào de huì.The boss had a few important meetings today.
2) 几 (jǐ) as “a Few Tens”
=》It is similar to how in English we can say, “a few dozen” or “a couple dozen,” though in this case instead of “twelves of something” we are saying “tens of something.”
% Structure = 几 + 十 + Measure Word + Noun
Examples
他 只 想 学 几 十 个 汉字。”Dozens” is the closest we can get in natural English to the Chinese, which literally means “tens.”
Tā zhǐ xiǎng xué jǐ shí gè Hànzì.He only wants to study a few dozen Chinese characters.
我们 公司 有 几 十 个 员工。Wǒmen gōngsī yǒu jǐ shí gè yuángōng.Our company has a few dozen employees.
他 写 过 几 十 本 书，我 都 喜欢。Tā xiě guo jǐ shí běn shū, wǒ dōu xǐhuan.He wrote a few dozen books. I like them all.
这个 年轻的 演员 演 了 几 十 部 电影。我都喜欢。Zhège niánqīng de yǎnyuán yǎn le jǐ shí bù diànyǐng. Wǒ dōu xǐhuan.This young actor has acted in dozens of movies. I like them all.
老板 在 国外 有 几 十 套 房子。Lǎobǎn zài guówài yǒu jǐ shí tào fángzi.The boss has a few dozen houses abroad.
3）几 (jǐ) as “a Few Hundred / Thousand / Ten Thousand”
=》In Chinese we can put 几 (jǐ) together with 百 (bǎi), 千 (qiān), or 万 (wàn), just like how in English we might say, “a few hundred” or a “few thousand.”
% Structure = 几 + 百 / 千 / 万 + Measure Word + Noun
Examples
妈妈 每 个 月 都 给 我 几 百 块 钱。Māma měi gè yuè dōu gěi wǒ jǐ bǎi kuài qián.Mom gives me a couple hundred dollars every month.
这 个 月 我们 卖 了 几 千 本 书。Zhège yuè wǒmen mài le jǐ qiān běn shū.We sold a couple thousand books this month.
几 百 家 外国 公司 参加 了 这个 大会。Jǐ bǎi jiā wàiguó gōngsī cānjiā le zhège dàhuì.Several hundred foreign companies attended this conference.
这 篇 文章 有 几 万 个 字，太 长 了。Zhè piān wénzhāng yǒu jǐ wàn gè zì, tài cháng le.This article has tens of thousands of characters. It’s too long.
我 认识 一 个 朋友，她 有 几 百 双 鞋。Wǒ rènshi yī gè péngyou, tā yǒu jǐ bǎi shuāng xié.I have a friend that has a couple hundred pairs of shoes.
4）好几 (hǎojǐ) as “Quite a Few”
=》You can think of 好几 (hǎojǐ) as meaning “quite a few,” usually in the range of five to ten.
% Structure = 好几 + Measure Word + Noun
Examples
他 读 了 好几 遍 。Tā dú le hǎojǐ biàn.He’s read quite a few times.
我 有 好几 个 室友 。Wǒ yǒu hǎojǐ gè shìyǒu.I have quite a few roommates.
我 奶奶 有 好几 个 孩子 。Wǒ nǎinai yǒu hǎojǐ gè háizi.My grandma has quite a few children.
他 吃 了 好几 碗 米饭 。Tā chī le hǎojǐ wǎn mǐfàn.He ate quite a few bowls of rice.
我们 去 过 好几 次 北京 。Wǒmen qù guo hǎojǐ cì Běijīng.We’ve been to Beijing quite a few times.
Change of state with “le”
=》了 (le) has many uses. You probably first learned 了 (le) as a particle that tells you an action is completed, which is also known as “了1.” However, this article is not about that use of 了 (le); instead, it is about indicating a change of state (了2). In other words, there is now a new situation, or there is about to be a new situation. This whole “change of state” idea can take numerous forms, and this page includes some helpful examples.
=》When used in this way, 了(le) is placed at the end of the sentence to indicate a new situation.
% Structure = [New Situation] + 了
Examples
下 雨 了。It wasn’t raining, but now it is.Xià yǔ le.It’s raining.
妈妈 老 了。We aren’t used to thinking of her as old, but she is now.Māma lǎo le.Mom is old.
你 胖 了。You used to not be fat.Nǐ pàng le.You’ve gotten fat.
家里 没有 牛奶 了。We had milk before.Jiālǐ méiyǒu niúnǎi le.We don’t have any milk at home.
爸爸 今年 50 岁 了。Seems like just a year ago he was only 49!Bàba jīnnián wǔshí suì le.Dad is 50 years old this year.
手机 没 电 了。It was working fine until now.Shǒujī méi diàn le.The cell phone ran out of power.
宝宝 会 说话 了。He couldn’t before.Bǎobao huì shuōhuà le.The baby can speak.
你哥哥 有 女朋友 了 吗？He didn’t have one before.Nǐ gēge yǒu nǚpéngyou le ma? Does your older brother have a girlfriend?
我 男朋友 找到 新 工作 了。A big change for sure.Wǒ nánpéngyou zhǎodào xīn gōngzuò le.My boyfriend found a new job.
你 老婆 怀孕 了 吗？I know you guys have been trying…Nǐ lǎopo huáiyùn le ma? Is your wife pregnant?
=》Too General?
》The whole "change of state" concept might seem very general, and it is. It's vague, and it also takes some getting used to. You should expect it to take a while to get used to this use of 了 (le). 》Because it's a little vague and confusing, most learners find it useful to break this "change of state" 了 (le) down into more specific usages, such as using it to mean "now", "already", or "not anymore". Although these are all "flavors" of the "change of state" 了 (le), identifying them as specific cases can make it much easier to get used to using 了 (le) in this way.
Conceding with “ba”
=》The particle 吧 (ba) can also be used to concede a point. That is, 吧 (ba) can be used to accept or agree with something that you’re not particularly happy about, the way we might use “all right” or “fine then” in English.
》Similar to other uses of 吧 (ba), this usage is also simply placed on the end of a sentence or statement.
% Structure = Statement + 吧
Examples
=》To understand what someone is conceding to, it’s best to present this usage as a number of super short dialogs which provide a little context.
1）In this first one, B has to accept that his luxury goods shopping dreams have been shattered.
A:太 贵 了！Tài guì le! That’s too expensive!
B:好 吧，我们 可以 看看 别的。 Hǎo ba, wǒmen kěyǐ kànkan biéde.All right, we can take a look at something else.
2）Now B must accept inconvenient schedule changes.
A:下午 我 不 在 家，你 可以 晚上 来 吗？Xiàwǔ wǒ bù zài jiā, nǐ kěyǐ wǎnshang lái ma? This afternoon I won’t be home. Can you come by this evening?
B:行 吧。Xíng ba.All right.
3）B is now conceding that going out in this crazy rain doesn’t make sense.
A:雨 太 大 了，明天 再 去 买 吧。 Yǔ tài dà le, míngtiān zài qù mǎi ba.It’s raining heavily. Let’s go buy it tomorrow.
B:好 吧，但是 明天 一定 要 买到 。Hǎo ba, dànshì míngtiān yídìng yào mǎidào.Fine, but tomorrow we definitely have to buy it.
4）Now B is agreeing to let more guys into his secret club.
A:可以 带 朋友 吗？ Kěyǐ dài péngyou ma ? Can I bring friends?
B:行 吧， 但是 不 能 带 女孩。 Xíng ba, dànshì bù néng dài nǚhái.All right, but you can’t bring girls.
5）Now B is having a friend cancel plans on him. Not a good day for B!
A:我 今天 不 太 舒服，你 可以 自己 去 吗？ Wǒ jīntiān bù tài shūfu, nǐ kěyǐ zìjǐ qù ma?I’m not feeling well today. Can you go by yourself?
B:好 吧， 那 你 好好 休息。 Hǎo ba, nà nǐ hǎohǎo xiūxi.All right, rest well then.
Expressing “already” with just “le”
=》You understand the word 已经 (yǐjīng) to mean “already” in Chinese, and it is followed with a 了 (le). However, sometimes, that feeling of “already” can also be expressed with 了 (le) alone if it is used in response to a preceding question or statement.
% Structure = Subj. + [Verb Phrase] + 了
Examples
》When "already" is implied using this structure, it is usually (if not always) in response to a preceding question or statement. Therefore, the following examples are in dialogue format.
1）
A: 老板 呢？Lǎobǎn ne? Where is the boss? B:他 走 了。Tā zǒu le.He (already) left.
2）
A: 孩子 还在 上 大学 吗？Háizi hái zài shàng dàxué ma? Are your kids still in college? B:他们 工作 了。 》This expression emphasizes that they're not students anymore, and have already entered the workforce.Tāmen gōngzuò le.They (already) work.
3）
A: 用 我 的 车 吧？Yòng wǒ de chē ba? How about using my car? B:谢谢，我们 有 车 了。Xièxie, wǒmen yǒu chē le.Thanks. We (already) have a car.
4)
A:你 要 不 要 告诉 他？Nǐ yào bu yào gàosu tā? Are you going to tell him? B:他 知道 了。Tā zhīdào le.He (already) knows.
5)
A:你 应该 问 老师。Nǐ yīnggāi wèn lǎoshī. You should ask the teacher. B:我 问 了。Wǒ wèn le.I (already) asked.
Expressing “not anymore” with “le”
=》In a negative sentence, the sentence-final 了 (le) can take on the meaning of “(not) anymore” or “no longer.” The word 已经 (yǐjīng), which means “already,” may nor may not accompany it.
》已经 (yǐjīng) is optional for this pattern, but either 不 (bù) or 没有 (méiyǒu) will be needed to make the verb negative. The sentence-final 了 (le) is, of course, required.
% Structure = (已经 +) 不 / 没(有) + [Verb Phrase] + 了
Examples
没有 纸 了 。in other words, “we’re out of paper”Méiyǒu zhǐ le.There’s no paper anymore.
手机 没有 电 了 。Shǒujī méiyǒu diàn le.My cell phone has run out of power.
他 没有 家 了。Tā méiyǒu jiā le.He doesn’t have his home anymore.
我们 都 没有 钱 了 。Wǒmen dōu méiyǒu qián le.We all don’t have any more money.
你 不 喜欢 我 了 吗？Nǐ bù xǐhuan wǒ le ma?You don’t like me anymore?
我 不 想 吃 了 。Wǒ bù xiǎng chī le.I don’t want to eat anymore.
你们 不 能 喝 了 。Nǐmen bù néng hē le.You can’t drink anymore.
我 已经 不 住 这里 了 。Wǒ yǐjīng bù zhù zhèlǐ le.I don’t live here anymore.
他 已经 不 在 这儿 工作 了 。Tā yǐjīng bù zài zhèr gōngzuò le.He doesn’t work here anymore.
他们 已经 不 在 一起 了 。Tāmen yǐjīng bù zài yīqǐ le.They are no longer together.
Expressing “now” with “le”
=》现在 (xiànzài) isn’t the only way to express “now.” You’ll notice that in many common expressions, 了 (le) is used in place of the word for “now.”
》This pattern is actually the same as change of state with "le", but the examples below are somewhat idiomatic and can also easily be confused with a direct translation of "now" in Chinese, so they get special treatment here.
% Structure = [New Situation] + 了
Examples
知道 了 。This is something I didn’t know before nowZhīdào le.Got it. / I see.
懂 了 。Dǒng le.Now I understand.
吃饭 了 ！Chīfàn le!Time to eat!
我 走 了 。Wǒ zǒu le.I’m leaving now.
他 来 了 。This can also mean “He’s here now.” Be careful! Tā lái le.He’s coming over now. / He’s on the way.
上课 了 ！ Shàngkè le! Class begins now!
我 去 睡觉 了 。 Wǒ qù shuìjiào le.I’m going to bed now.
快 点儿 ，开会 了 ！Kuài diǎnr, kāihuì le! Hurry up, it’s time for the meeting now!
该 你 了 。Gāi nǐ le.It’s your turn now.
电影 开始 了 ！Diànyǐng kāishǐ le! The movie is starting now!
