Lesson 30: Duration complement and separable verbs

How to say how long an action lasts (一个小时, 两年…), and where the duration complement goes with an object and with a separable verb.

Hanyu textbook · Hanyu 2 · Lesson 30

她学汉语学了两个多月了。

Tā xué Hànyǔ xué le liǎng ge duō yuè le.

She has been studying Chinese for more than two months.

Explanation

To express how long an action or state lasts, Chinese uses a duration complement. In questions, say 多长时间(了); the duration complement is made up of a word for a period of time: 一会儿, 一分钟, 一刻钟, 半个小时, 一个小时, 半天, 一天, 一个星期, 半个月, 一个月, 半年, 一年…

When the verb has no object, the duration complement goes after the verb. When the verb has an object (or the verb is a separable verb), the verb must be repeated, and the duration complement goes after the repeated verb. When the object is a pronoun for a person, the duration complement goes after the object. When the object is not a pronoun for a person, the duration complement can also go between the verb and the object, and 的 can be added between them.

If the verb is followed by 了 and the sentence ends with the modal particle 了, it means the action is still going on.

Separable verbs are two-syllable verbs with a verb-object structure (睡觉, 考试, 唱歌, 跳舞, 毕业, 游泳, 见面…): most of them cannot take an object; a duration complement or a frequency complement can only go between the verb and the object; some have an AAB reduplicated form (游游泳, 见见面, 洗洗澡, 跳跳舞).

The adverb 好 is used before 一, 几, 多, 久… to stress a large quantity or a long time (他学了好几年了).

Structure

1
SsubjectVverb了optionalkhoảng thời gian
When the verb has no object, the duration complement goes after the verb.
- 她在大学学了两年。
  Tā zài dàxué xué le liǎng nián.
  She studied at university for two years.
- 他在中国生活了一年。
  Tā zài Zhōngguó shēnghuó le yì nián.
  He has lived in China for a year.
- 我每天都坚持锻炼一个小时。
  Wǒ měitiān dōu jiānchí duànliàn yí ge xiǎoshí.
  I stick to exercising for an hour every day.
- A：他在北京住了多长时间？ B：他在北京住了五天。
  A: Tā zài Běijīng zhù le duō cháng shíjiān? B: Tā zài Běijīng zhù le wǔ tiān.
  A: How long did he stay in Beijing? B: He stayed in Beijing for five days.
2
SsubjectVverbOobjectVverb了khoảng thời gian
A verb with an object: repeat the verb, and put the complement after the repeated verb.
- 他游泳游了一个下午。
  Tā yóuyǒng yóu le yí ge xiàwǔ.
  He swam all afternoon.
- 她学汉语学了两个多月了。
  Tā xué Hànyǔ xué le liǎng ge duō yuè le.
  She has been studying Chinese for more than two months.
- 我写汉字写了半个小时。
  Wǒ xiě Hànzì xiě le bàn ge xiǎoshí.
  I practiced writing Chinese characters for half an hour.
3
Vverbđại từkhoảng thời gian / V了khoảng thời gian的optionalOobject
When the object is a pronoun for a person, it goes before the complement; other objects can go after the complement (and 的 can be added).
- 我找了你一个小时。
  Wǒ zhǎo le nǐ yí ge xiǎoshí.
  I looked for you for an hour.
- 我们在这儿等她一会儿吧。
  Wǒmen zài zhèr děng tā yíhuìr ba.
  Let's wait for her here for a while.
- A：你看了多长时间(的)电视？ B：我看了一个小时(的)电视。
  A: Nǐ kàn le duō cháng shíjiān (de) diànshì? B: Wǒ kàn le yí ge xiǎoshí (de) diànshì.
  A: How long did you watch TV? B: I watched TV for an hour.
- A：你学了几年(的)汉语？ B：我学了两年(的)汉语。
  A: Nǐ xué le jǐ nián (de) Hànyǔ? B: Wǒ xué le liǎng nián (de) Hànyǔ.
  A: How many years have you been studying Chinese? B: I have studied Chinese for two years.
4
Vverb了thời gianO vs V了thời gianOobject了
With 了 at the end of the sentence: the action is still going on.
- 她学了一年汉语。
  Tā xué le yì nián Hànyǔ.
  She studied Chinese for a year (she may not be studying it now).
- 她学了一年汉语了。
  Tā xué le yì nián Hànyǔ le.
  She has been studying Chinese for a year (and is still studying).
- 他在北京住了两年。
  Tā zài Běijīng zhù le liǎng nián.
  He lived in Beijing for two years (he no longer lives there).
- 他在北京住了两年了。
  Tā zài Běijīng zhù le liǎng nián le.
  He has been living in Beijing for two years (and still lives there).
- 我吃了十个饺子。
  Wǒ chī le shí ge jiǎozi.
  I ate ten dumplings (I may not be eating any more).
- 我吃了十个饺子了。
  Wǒ chī le shí ge jiǎozi le.
  I have eaten ten dumplings (and am still eating).
5
Động từ ly hợp: Abổ ngữB / AAB
Most do not take an object; duration and frequency complements go between the two parts; AAB reduplicated form.
- 我睡了七个小时觉。
  Wǒ shuì le qī ge xiǎoshí jiào.
  I slept for seven hours.
- 我去大使馆跟朋友见面。
  Wǒ qù dàshǐguǎn gēn péngyou jiànmiàn.
  I'm going to the embassy to meet a friend.
- 游游泳
  yóuyou yǒng
  a little swim
- 见见面
  jiànjian miàn
  meet up for a bit
- 洗洗澡
  xǐxi zǎo
  take a quick bath
- 跳跳舞
  tiàotiao wǔ
  dance a bit
6
好一 / 几 / 多 / 久 …
The adverb 好 stresses a large quantity or a long time.
- 他学了好几年了。
  Tā xué le hǎo jǐ nián le.
  He has been studying for several years now.
- 我等了你好一会儿了。
  Wǒ děng le nǐ hǎo yíhuìr le.
  I waited for you for quite a while.
- 我们学了好多生词了。
  Wǒmen xué le hǎo duō shēngcí le.
  We have already learned a great many new words.

Usage notes

The idiom 三天打鱼，两天晒网 (fish for three days, dry the nets for two): describes someone who isn't persistent and works only on and off.

Common mistakes

Don't say: *我睡觉了七个小时 (correct: 我睡了七个小时觉); *我去大使馆见面朋友 (correct: 我去大使馆跟朋友见面).

Practice

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