Video lesson: 了 for a completed action, and 了 read liǎo (le) in Mandarin Chinese grammar

视频课：“了”的用法（二）

• Video lesson, 8:38

了 (le) is one of the most common words in Mandarin Chinese, and it does several different jobs. This second part goes through the other two with example sentences built up a word at a time: a completed action after a verb, and 得了 and 不了, where it is read liǎo and means can or can't.

The grammar guide: Chinese le grammar summary (了)

Chapters

1. 0:00 了 (le)
2. 0:37 Job 3 · a completed action, after the verb
3. 4:32 Job 4 · can or can't, read liǎo
4. 7:56 Recap

Example sentences

Transcript

1. 0:05

   Hi, welcome back! This is part two of our lesson on one word you'll hear in nearly every conversation in Chinese. Here it is again.

2. 0:13

   “了”。 In part one, we saw it in set patterns, like too big, and at the end of a sentence for a change, like he's a teacher now.

3. 0:24

   Today it's the other two jobs. And there's the character again, with its two strokes. It's written the same way in simplified and traditional Chinese. So, what's job three?

4. 0:36

   Job three: a completed action. Here, it goes right after the verb, and says the action is done. Here's the first one, about a friend who loves coffee. 我今天喝了三杯咖啡。

5. 0:58

   'I've had three cups of coffee today.' That explains a lot. Let's go word by word.

6. 1:05

   我。

7. 1:06

   I.

8. 1:06

   今天。

9. 1:07

   Today.

10. 1:09

    喝。

11. 1:09

    Drink.

12. 1:10

    “了”。

13. 1:11

    Done.

14. 1:12

    三。

15. 1:12

    Three.

16. 1:13

    杯。

17. 1:14

    Cups.

18. 1:15

    咖啡。

19. 1:16

    Coffee.

20. 1:17

    All together. 我今天喝了三杯咖啡。

21. 1:21

    So this time it comes straight after the verb for drink. In job two, it went at the very end.

22. 1:27

    That's right. Listen to both. 他是老师了。我今天喝了三杯咖啡。

23. 1:36

    In the teacher sentence, it marks a change. In the coffee sentence, it marks a completed action. So is the one after the verb the past tense?

24. 1:46

    No, and that's a very common mix-up. It says the action is complete, but not when. It works for the future too. This next one is a plan. 我喝了咖啡就去上班。

25. 2:03

    'Once I've had my coffee, I'll go to work.' And that hasn't happened yet. Can we take it word by word?

26. 2:11

    我。

27. 2:12

    I.

28. 2:12

    喝。

29. 2:13

    Drink.

30. 2:14

    “了”。

31. 2:15

    Done.

32. 2:16

    咖啡。

33. 2:17

    Coffee.

34. 2:18

    就。

35. 2:19

    Then.

36. 2:20

    去。

37. 2:20

    Go.

38. 2:21

    上班。

39. 2:22

    To work.

40. 2:24

    Once more. 我喝了咖啡就去上班。

41. 2:27

    So I'll finish my coffee, then go to work. It can turn up in a plan for the future too. What happens if we use it twice, after the verb and at the end?

42. 2:37

    That happens a lot. Together, they say how much is done so far. This next one is about a very hungry friend. 他已经吃了八碗面条了！

43. 2:53

    'He's already eaten eight bowls of noodles!' And he might not be finished. Let's go word by word.

44. 3:01

    他。

45. 3:02

    He.

46. 3:03

    已经。

47. 3:04

    Already.

48. 3:05

    吃。

49. 3:06

    Eat.

50. 3:07

    “了”。

51. 3:08

    Done.

52. 3:08

    八。

53. 3:09

    Eight.

54. 3:10

    碗。

55. 3:11

    Bowls.

56. 3:12

    面条。

57. 3:13

    Noodles.

58. 3:15

    “了”。

59. 3:15

    And so far. That's how things stand now.

60. 3:18

    All together. 他已经吃了八碗面条了！

61. 3:23

    The first one marks those eight bowls as eaten. The last one brings us up to now. What if the verb is the last word, though?

62. 3:30

    Then they join into one. When a friend gets to the restaurant, they'll text you to say they've arrived. 我到了。

63. 3:41

    'I'm here.' The arrival is complete, and the situation has changed. Let's go word by word.

64. 3:49

    我。

65. 3:49

    I.

66. 3:50

    到。

67. 3:51

    Arrive.

68. 3:52

    “了”。

69. 3:53

    Done, and now.

70. 3:54

    Once more. 我到了。

71. 3:57

    So one word does both jobs here. Now, quiz time! Which of these is about something still to come? Have a think.

72. 4:17

    It's this one. 我喝了咖啡就去上班。 The coffee is done before work, but the whole plan is still to come.

73. 4:26

    So our word means done, not past. Right, what's job four?

74. 4:33

    Job four sounds different. It's the same character, but it's said another way. Listen. 我受不了。

75. 4:45

    'I can't stand it.' That last part sounds different from the word we've heard so far. Shall we go word by word?

76. 4:53

    我。

77. 4:54

    I.

78. 4:55

    受不了。

79. 4:57

    Can't stand it.

80. 5:00

    Here, it's said like the start of the word for understand. Listen. 了解。受不了。

81. 5:08

    Understand, and can't stand it. Funny coincidence, too: this character is in both Chinese words, and 'stand' is in both English ones. That's all it is, though, a coincidence. So it's the same character, but a different sound, and a different job.

82. 5:26

    That's right. After a verb, it says whether you can do something. This next one is at a big dinner. 这么多菜，你吃得了吗？

83. 5:42

    'There's so much food. Can you eat it all?' Let's go word by word.

84. 5:48

    这么。

85. 5:49

    So.

86. 5:50

    多。

87. 5:51

    Much.

88. 5:52

    菜。

89. 5:53

    Food.

90. 5:54

    你。

91. 5:55

    You.

92. 5:56

    吃得了。

93. 5:58

    Can eat it all.

94. 5:59

    吗。

95. 5:59

    And that makes it a question.

96. 6:01

    All together. 这么多菜，你吃得了吗？

97. 6:06

    I think I know the answer.

98. 6:07

    And the answer. 我吃不了。

99. 6:14

    'I can't eat it all.' Very honest. Let's go word by word.

100. 6:20

     我。

101. 6:21

     I.

102. 6:22

     吃不了。

103. 6:24

     Can't eat it all.

104. 6:25

     Once more. 我吃不了。

105. 6:28

     So the word for not makes it can't.

106. 6:32

     That's right. It's can, or can't, depending on the word in the middle. 吃得了。吃不了。

107. 6:42

     Can eat it all, and can't eat it all. Can job four team up with the others?

108. 6:48

     It can team up with job two. Put a change on the end, and you get this. 我受不了了！

109. 6:57

     'I can't stand it anymore!' Adding that last word tells us something has changed. Let's take it word by word.

110. 7:06

     我。

111. 7:07

     I.

112. 7:08

     受不了。

113. 7:10

     Can't stand it.

114. 7:11

     “了”。

115. 7:12

     Anymore.

116. 7:13

     Once more. 我受不了了！ And listen to both. 我受不了。我受不了了！

117. 7:21

     'I can't stand it.' 'I can't stand it anymore!' The same character twice, with a different sound each time. Time for one more quiz. Which of these means 'I can't eat it all'?

118. 7:47

     It's this one. 我吃不了。 The word for not in the middle makes it cannot.

119. 7:55

     Let's go through the four jobs once more. One: set patterns, like 'too big'.

120. 8:03

     Two: at the end of a sentence, a change.

121. 8:06

     Three: after the verb, a completed action.

122. 8:10

     And four: said differently, can or can't. 明白了吗？

123. 8:15

     'Got it?' And there it is again, asking whether you understand now. You can save the sentences from this lesson and practise them later at Chinese Boost dot com.

124. 8:24

     那我们下次见！

125. 8:25

     'See you next time!' Bye for now!

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