Time Duration with 了
Duration follows the verb; one 'le' means finished, two 'le' means it is still happening.
The Rule in 30 Seconds
- Place duration after the verb to show how long an action lasted.
- Use one 'le' for completed actions that have already finished.
- Use two 'le' particles for actions that are still continuing now.
- Repeat the verb if there is an object: Verb + Object + Verb + le.
Quick Reference
| Structure | Example | Meaning | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| V + 了 + Duration | 我学了一年 | I studied for a year | Finished |
| V + 了 + Dur + 了 | 我学了一年了 | I've been studying for a year | Ongoing |
| V + O + V + 了 + Dur | 他写信写了半天 | He wrote letters for a long time | Finished |
| V + 了 + Dur + 的 + O | 他写了半天的信 | He wrote letters for a long time | Finished |
| 没有 + Dur + V | 我两天没有睡觉 | I haven't slept for two days | Negative |
| V + 了 + Dur + 了 + O? | 你学了多久了？ | How long have you been studying? | Question |
Key Examples
3 of 9我昨天睡了八个小时。
I slept for eight hours yesterday.
我在这儿等了半个小时了。
I have been waiting here for half an hour.
他看电视看了两个小时。
He watched TV for two hours.
The 'Double Le' Secret
If you see 'le' twice, think of it as 'up to now.' It connects the past action to the present moment perfectly.
Don't Mix with Time Points
Never say 'I did it for 3 PM.' Duration is for spans of time (hours, days), not specific clock times.
The Rule in 30 Seconds
- Place duration after the verb to show how long an action lasted.
- Use one 'le' for completed actions that have already finished.
- Use two 'le' particles for actions that are still continuing now.
- Repeat the verb if there is an object: Verb + Object + Verb + le.
Overview
You want to talk about time. Not just "when" something happened. You want to say "how long" it lasted. This is what we call time duration. In English, we use words like "for" or "since." In Chinese, we use the magic particle 了. This grammar point is your best friend. It helps you talk about your life. It helps you describe your work experience. It even helps you complain about a late bus. Mastering this makes your Chinese sound natural. It moves you past simple, choppy sentences. You will sound like a real speaker.
How This Grammar Works
Chinese word order is usually very strict. Usually, time goes before the verb. But duration is a special guest. Duration usually comes after the verb. Think of it as the "weight" of the action. The action happened, and here is the result. We use 了 to show the action is completed. Or we use two 了 to show it's still going. It feels like a progress bar on a video. One 了 means the video finished. Two 了 means the video is still buffering. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes. But don't worry, you've got this.
Formation Pattern
- 1There are three main ways to build these sentences.
- 2For finished actions:
Subject + Verb + 了 + Duration. - 3Example:
我睡了八小时(I slept for eight hours). - 4For ongoing actions:
Subject + Verb + 了 + Duration + 了. - 5Example:
我学了一年了(I have been studying for a year). - 6When you have an object (The "Verb-Object-Verb" sandwich):
- 7
Subject + Verb + Object + Verb + 了 + Duration. - 8Example:
他跑步跑了三十分钟(He ran for thirty minutes). - 9The shortcut with
的: - 10
Subject + Verb + 了 + Duration + 的 + Object. - 11Example:
我看了两个小时的书(I read books for two hours).
When To Use It
Use this when the length of time matters. Imagine you are in a job interview. The boss asks how long you worked at your last job. You say: 我工作了三年 (I worked for three years). This shows the action is over. Now imagine you are on a first date. You want to say how long you have lived in the city. You say: 我在这儿住了两年了 (I have lived here for two years). The second 了 tells your date you still live there. It’s a grammar traffic light. Green means keep going. Red means it stopped.
When Not To Use It
Do not use this for a specific point in time. If you say "I woke up at 8:00," that is not duration. That is just a timestamp. Duration is the "amount" of time. Also, avoid using it with "instant" verbs. You can't "arrive" for three hours. You can't "die" for five years. These actions happen in a flash. They don't have a middle part. If you try to use duration with them, it sounds like a ghost story. Keep duration for actions that take effort and time.
Common Mistakes
A big mistake is putting duration before the verb. You might want to say 我三个小时睡了. This sounds very strange to Chinese ears. Always put the duration after the action. Another mistake is forgetting the second 了. If you are still doing the action, you need that extra 了 at the end. Without it, people think you stopped. It's like hanging up the phone mid-sentence. Finally, don't forget to repeat the verb if you have an object. You can't just say 我学汉语了一年. You must say 我学汉语学了一年.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
Compare this to 过. 过 means you have had the experience before. 了 with duration means you did it for a specific block of time. 我学过中文 means "I have studied Chinese before." 我学了一年中文 means "I studied Chinese for one year." Also, compare the single 了 to the double 了. 我等了半小时 means you waited and then left. 我等了半小时了 means you are still standing there, probably looking at your watch and getting annoyed. The second 了 is the "still happening" signal.
Quick FAQ
Q. Can I use 了 with every verb?
A. Most verbs, yes! Just avoid instant ones like "to start."
Q. Is the 的 in the shortcut mandatory?
A. It's very common in spoken Chinese, but sometimes people drop it.
Q. What if the duration is very short?
A. Even "one second" uses this pattern! 我等了一秒钟.
Q. Does this work for negative sentences?
A. Usually, we use 没有 for negatives and remove the 了. 我三天没有睡觉 (I haven't slept for three days).
Reference Table
| Structure | Example | Meaning | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| V + 了 + Duration | 我学了一年 | I studied for a year | Finished |
| V + 了 + Dur + 了 | 我学了一年了 | I've been studying for a year | Ongoing |
| V + O + V + 了 + Dur | 他写信写了半天 | He wrote letters for a long time | Finished |
| V + 了 + Dur + 的 + O | 他写了半天的信 | He wrote letters for a long time | Finished |
| 没有 + Dur + V | 我两天没有睡觉 | I haven't slept for two days | Negative |
| V + 了 + Dur + 了 + O? | 你学了多久了？ | How long have you been studying? | Question |
The 'Double Le' Secret
If you see 'le' twice, think of it as 'up to now.' It connects the past action to the present moment perfectly.
Don't Mix with Time Points
Never say 'I did it for 3 PM.' Duration is for spans of time (hours, days), not specific clock times.
The Sandwich Rule
Think of Verb-Object-Verb like a sandwich. The object is the filling, and the verbs are the bread holding it together.
Polite Waiting
When meeting friends, saying '我等了你半天了' (I've been waiting forever) is a common, slightly dramatic way to greet someone who is late.
Beispiele
9我昨天睡了八个小时。
Focus: 睡了八个小时
I slept for eight hours yesterday.
The action is finished. Only one 'le' is used.
我在这儿等了半个小时了。
Focus: 等了半个小时了
I have been waiting here for half an hour.
The second 'le' shows the person is still waiting.
他看电视看了两个小时。
Focus: 看电视看了
He watched TV for two hours.
When there is an object (TV), repeat the verb (watch).
我看了两个小时的电视。
Focus: 两个小时的电视
I watched two hours of TV.
This is a more compact way to handle objects.
我三天没洗澡了。
Focus: 三天没
I haven't showered for three days.
In negative sentences, 'le' at the end shows the state continues.
✗ 我两个小时看了书。 → ✓ 我看了两个小时的书。
Focus: 看了两个小时
I read for two hours.
Duration must come after the verb, not before.
✗ 我学汉语了一年。 → ✓ 我学汉语学了一年。
Focus: 学汉语学了
I studied Chinese for a year.
You cannot put 'le' and duration between a verb and its object directly.
他在本公司工作了十年。
Focus: 工作了十年
He worked at this company for ten years.
Used in resumes or formal introductions.
雨已经下了一整天了。
Focus: 下了一整天了
It has already been raining for a whole day.
Using 'already' (已经) emphasizes the duration.
Test Yourself
Choose the correct structure for an action that is still happening.
我学习汉语___。
To show an ongoing action with an object, you repeat the verb and use two 'le' particles.
How do you say you slept for 7 hours (and you are now awake)?
我昨天___七个小时。
For a completed past action, use 'Verb + 了 + Duration'.
Complete the sentence using the 'de' structure.
他打了一个小时___球。
The structure 'Verb + 了 + Duration + 的 + Object' is a common shortcut.
🎉 Score: /3
Visual Learning Aids
One 'le' vs. Two 'le'
Choosing the Right Pattern
Is the action still happening?
Is there an object (like 'book' or 'TV')?
Do you want to repeat the verb?
Common Duration Verbs
Daily Life
- • 睡 (sleep)
- • 住 (live)
- • 等 (wait)
Work/Study
- • 学 (study)
- • 工作 (work)
- • 写 (write)
Frequently Asked Questions
20 questionsA time point is 'when' (e.g., 3:00), while duration is 'how long' (e.g., 3 hours). Duration always comes after the verb in Chinese.
Chinese verbs don't like to be separated from their objects by duration. Repeating the verb 学汉语学了... solves this 'crowding' problem.
It is technically understandable but grammatically incomplete. Adding 了 makes it clear that the time period is a completed or ongoing measurement.
No! 两点 is 2:00 (a point). 两个小时 is two hours (a duration). Don't mix them up!
Use 多久 (duōjiǔ) or 多长时间 (duō cháng shíjiān) after the verb. For example: 你学了多久了？
For negatives, we don't use the middle 了. Say 我三天没吃饭了 to mean 'I haven't eaten for three days.'
Usually no. 'Going' is an instant action. You would use duration to say how long you *stayed* there instead.
Yes, in the context of duration, the sentence-final 了 implies the action continues into the present.
In casual speech, yes. You can say 看了一个小时书, but 一个小时的书 sounds more formal and complete.
过 emphasizes the experience happened at some point. 了 emphasizes the specific duration of that occurrence.
No, 'every day' is a habit, not a specific duration of one event. Habits don't usually take 了.
It's an idiom! If you wait 半天, it just means you feel like you've been waiting a very long time.
Say 我工作了五个小时了. The two 了 show you are still working.
Yes! This is called a topic-comment structure. 这个电影我看了两个小时 (This movie, I watched for two hours).
No. For future, just use the duration after the verb without 了. 我要去北京住三天.
These are 'separable verbs.' Treat them like Verb + Object. 他们结婚结了十年了.
In this pattern, two is the maximum. One after the verb, one at the end of the sentence.
Mostly, yes. If 'for' describes the length of an action, this 了 pattern is your go-to.
Not directly. 'Since' usually uses a time point. But the 'Ongoing' pattern (了...了) covers the meaning of 'since [time] until now'.
People will still understand you, but it sounds like 'broken' Chinese. Using the 的 shortcut is an easier way to avoid mistakes.
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