Lesson 26: The sentence-final modal particle 了

Use 了 at the end of a sentence to say that something has happened, an action is complete, or a state has changed; how to negate and ask questions.

Hanyu textbook · Hanyu 2 · Lesson 26

安娜跟外贸代表团去上海了。

Ānnà gēn wàimào dàibiǎotuán qù Shànghǎi le.

Anna has gone to Shanghai with the foreign trade delegation.

Explanation

The modal particle 了 is used at the end of a sentence to express an affirmative tone. It completes the sentence and makes clear that something has come about, an action has been completed, a situation has appeared, or a state has changed… Sometimes it serves only to complete the sentence.

Compare two groups of sentences: before something happens (你去哪儿？我去商店。) and after it has happened (你去哪儿了？我去商店了。).

The affirmative-negative question form is "……了 + 没有？". "还没(有)……呢" expresses that something has still not started or been completed at present, implying that it is about to start or be completed.

When 没(有) is placed before a verb to express negation, 了 is not used at the end of the sentence. When expressing a habitual action, 了 also cannot be used at the end of the sentence.

In addition, 吧 at the end of a sentence can express a questioning tone (你给我打电话了吧？); "不是……吗？" is a rhetorical question that stresses an affirmative meaning and needs no answer.

Structure

1
SsubjectVverbOobjectoptional了
Something has happened, an action is complete, a situation has appeared, a state has changed.
- 安娜跟外贸代表团去上海了。
  Ānnà gēn wàimào dàibiǎotuán qù Shànghǎi le.
  Anna has gone to Shanghai with the foreign trade delegation.
- 田芳的手机关了。
  Tián Fāng de shǒujī guān le.
  Tian Fang's phone is switched off.
- 他已经睡了。别叫他了。
  Tā yǐjīng shuì le. Bié jiào tā le.
  He's asleep. Don't call him anymore.
- 她今年20岁了。
  Tā jīnnián èrshí suì le.
  She is 20 this year.
- 饭好了。我们吃饭吧。
  Fàn hǎo le. Wǒmen chīfàn ba.
  The meal is ready. Let's eat.
- A：你去哪儿了？ B：我去商店了。
  A: Nǐ qù nǎr le? B: Wǒ qù shāngdiàn le.
  A: Where did you go? B: I went to the shop.
2
……了没有？
Affirmative-negative question.
- A：你去医院了没有？ B：去了。
  A: Nǐ qù yīyuàn le méiyǒu? B: Qù le.
  A: Did you go to the hospital? B: Yes, I did.
- A：你买今天的晚报了没有？ B：没买。
  A: Nǐ mǎi jīntiān de wǎnbào le méiyǒu? B: Méi mǎi.
  A: Did you buy this afternoon's paper? B: No, I haven't.
3
还没(有)Vverb呢
It has still not started or been completed, implying that it is about to start or be completed.
- A：她回家了吗？ B：她还没有回家呢。
  A: Tā huí jiā le ma? B: Tā hái méiyǒu huí jiā ne.
  A: Has she gone home? B: She hasn't gone home yet.
- A：他走了没有？ B：他还没有走呢。
  A: Tā zǒu le méiyǒu? B: Tā hái méiyǒu zǒu ne.
  A: Has he left? B: He hasn't left yet.
4
没(有)V (không dùng 了) / hành động thường xuyên (không dùng 了)
Don't say *我昨天没去商店了; don't say *每天早上她都去打太极拳了.
- 我昨天没去商店。
  Wǒ zuótiān méi qù shāngdiàn.
  I didn't go to the shop yesterday.
- 她觉得不舒服，今天没有上课。
  Tā juéde bù shūfu, jīntiān méiyǒu shàngkè.
  She doesn't feel well and isn't going to class today.
- 每天早上她都去打太极拳。
  Měitiān zǎoshang tā dōu qù dǎ tàijíquán.
  She goes to do Tai Chi every morning.
- 她常来我家玩儿。
  Tā cháng lái wǒ jiā wánr.
  She often comes to my home to hang out.
5
Câu吧？ / 不是……吗？ / 是不是
吧 expresses a questioning tone; 不是……吗？ is a rhetorical question that needs no answer; 是不是 goes before the predicate, or at the beginning or end of the sentence.
- 你给我打电话了吧？
  Nǐ gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà le ba?
  You called me, didn't you?
- 你不是要上托福班吗？
  Nǐ bú shì yào shàng Tuōfú bān ma?
  Aren't you planning to take the TOEFL class?
- A：你是不是想家了？ B：是。我常常想家。
  A: Nǐ shì bu shì xiǎng jiā le? B: Shì. Wǒ chángcháng xiǎng jiā.
  A: Are you homesick? B: Yes. I often miss home.

Usage notes

When the negation is 没(有) before the verb, don't use 了 at the end of the sentence; a habitual action also doesn't take 了 at the end.

Common mistakes

~~我昨天没去商店了~~
~~她觉得不舒服，今天没有上课了~~
~~每天早上她都去打太极拳了~~
~~她常来我家玩儿了~~

Practice

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