HSK 2Grammar

The particle 了

Completed action and change of state

Completed action: Verb + 了

了 (le) placed right after the verb indicates that the action is accomplished. This is not a 'past tense': it indicates that something is done.

Subject + Verb + 了 + Object

I ate two apples.

He bought a book.

At the end of the sentence, 了 signals a new situation: something has changed.

Sentence + 了

It's raining (it started raining).

He's twenty years old (now).

To say that an action did not happen, use 没 and remove the 了.

Subject + 没 + Verb

I didn't eat.

He didn't come.

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