When 了 le comes right after a verb, it tells you the action is complete. You can add details after it, like how many or how long. Grammar books sometimes call this one “了1.”
一 Verb + 了: Completed
Subject + Verb + 了 (+ Object)
了 le goes immediately after the verb. It shows the action is done, and usually something else follows: another action, or more detail.
他吃了飯饭就去上班了
He ate and then went to work.
Two different 了 here! The first one, in 吃了飯吃了饭, is 了1: eating is completed. The second one, at the end of the sentence, is 了2: it tells you the situation has changed (he’s gone to work now).
我睡了一覺觉以後以后，頭头就不痛了
After I got some sleep, my headache went away.
Again, two different 了: in 睡了一覺睡了一觉, 了1 shows the sleep is completed. In 不痛了 at the end, 了2 shows a change: my head hurt before, and now it doesn’t.
我明天下了課课就要回家
Tomorrow I’m going home as soon as class is over.
This one is about tomorrow! 了 just means “once class is finished,” so it’s clearly not a past tense.
了1 · right after the verb
他吃了飯饭⋯
The action (eating) is completed. This is the 了 this page is about.
了2 · end of the sentence
⋯就去上班了
The situation has changed: before, he wasn’t at work; now he is.
Is 了 the past tense?No! Chinese doesn’t have a past tense. 了 only marks that an action is completed. That’s why:
It can be used for the future, as in 明天下了課明天下了课 (“once class is over tomorrow”).
Actions that didn’t happen can’t be completed, so 我沒吃我没吃 (“I didn’t eat”) has no 了.
Feelings and states like 愛 ài爱 ài, 喜歡 xǐhuān喜欢 xǐhuan or 是 shì can’t be “completed,” so they don’t take this 了.
二 How Many: Verb + 了 + Number
Subject + Verb + 了 + Number + Measure Word + Object
Add a number and measure word after 了 le to say how many.
他昨天吃了兩两碗飯饭
He ate two bowls of rice yesterday.
我喝了五杯水
I drank five glasses of water.
老師老师給给了你五塊块錢钱嗎吗？
Did the teacher give you five dollars?
三 How Long: Verb + 了 + Time
Subject + Verb + 了 + Time Spent (+ 的 + Object)
Put a length of time after 了 le to say how long the action lasted. If there’s an object, it goes at the end, usually with 的 de.
他晚上看了兩两個个鐘頭钟头的電視电视
He watched two hours of TV tonight.
她跟她男朋友男朋友交往了七年
She dated her boyfriend for seven years.
你以前在台灣台湾學学了多久的中文？
How long did you study Chinese in Taiwan before?
Another wayYou can also repeat the verb instead: 他看電視看了兩個鐘頭他看电视看了两个钟头. Both mean “He watched TV for two hours.”
四 Common Mistakes
❌ 我昨天沒没吃了早餐
✅ 我昨天沒没吃早餐
If it didn’t happen, it wasn’t completed, so drop 了 le after 沒 méi没 méi.
❌ 我小時候小时候喜歡喜欢了貓猫
✅ 我小時候小时候喜歡喜欢貓猫
Liking something is a state, not an action you finish, so no 了 le.
❌ 他吃飯饭了兩两碗
✅ 他吃了兩两碗飯饭
了 le goes right after the verb, then the amount, then the object.
❌ 我學学了中文兩两年
✅ 我學学了兩两年的中文
Unlike English, the length of time comes before the object.
五 Practice
Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like, or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck. Careful: some tiles are traps and are not needed!
Question 1 of 10
“I bought three books yesterday.”
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❌ Try Again
我昨天買买了三本書书
Starting with 昨天 zuótiān is also correct.
Verb + 了 le + number + measure word + object.
“She slept for ten hours.”
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她睡了十個个小時小时
Verb + 了 le + length of time.
“We waited for half an hour.”
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我們我们等了半個个小時小时
Verb + 了 le + length of time.
“He drank two cups of coffee this morning.”
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他今天早上喝了兩两杯咖啡
了 le comes right after 喝 hē.
“How long did you study Chinese?”
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你學学了多久的中文？
Duration (多久 duōjiǔ) comes before the object.
“Tomorrow, once I get off work, I’ll call you.”
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我明天下了班就打電話給你给你打电话
Even though it’s about tomorrow, 了 le shows “once work is finished.”
“I didn’t go to class yesterday.”
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我昨天沒没去上課上课
Starting with 昨天 zuótiān is also correct.
It didn’t happen, so no 了 le. The 了 le tile is a trap.
“They talked on the phone for three hours.”
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他們他们講讲了三個个小時小时的電話电话
Verb + 了 le + time + 的 de + object.
“Mom made a lot of dishes.”
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媽媽妈妈做了很多菜
An amount (很多 hěn duō) can come after 了 le too.
“I lived in Tainan for two years.”
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我在台南住了兩两年
The place (在台南 zài Táinán) comes before the verb, and the time comes after 了 le.
