How to Use 了 (le) in Mandarin: Completion vs Change

了 (le) does two jobs, and where it sits tells you which. Straight after the verb, it says the action happened. At the very end of the sentence, it says something is new. Neither is a past tense. The aspect markers page introduced 了 (le); this page takes the two jobs apart.

The whole system on one screen

The colours stay the same all page long:

The first two report an action: the buying and the drinking happened. The last two report a new situation: it wasn't raining before, and last year you couldn't swim.

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1. 1下xià雨yǔ了le
2. 2下xià雪xuě了le

下雨了 (xiàyǔ le): it's started raining. 下雪了 (xiàxuě le): it's snowing now. Neither was true a moment ago.

了 (le) after the verb: it happened

The 了 (le) after a verb says the action happened and is done. It is happiest with a counted or specific object after it:

With a bare object, 我吃了饭 (wǒ chī le fàn) on its own usually sounds unfinished, and the listener waits for more. That is why the last row carries on with 就走 (jiù zǒu). The verb-了 also works in a plan, as there: it marks one action done before the next, not a past time.

When the verb is the last word, one 了 does both jobs at once: 他tā走zǒu了le。 (Tā zǒu le.) - He's left (it happened, and now he's gone).

了 (le) at the end: something is new

The 了 (le) at the very end of the sentence says a situation now holds that did not before. Nothing has to be finished:

The last row is the giveaway that 了 is no past tense: 不喝酒了 (bù hējiǔ le) is about not drinking from now on.

了 (le) is not a past tense

English marks every past sentence; Mandarin does not. A past habit, or a plain description of how things were, takes no 了 (le):

• 我wǒ以yǐ前qián每měi天tiān都dōu跑pǎo步bù。 (Wǒ yǐqián měitiān dōu pǎobù.) - I used to run every day.
• 我wǒ小xiǎo时shí候hou很hěn喜xǐ欢huan吃chī饺jiǎo子zi。 (Wǒ xiǎoshíhou hěn xǐhuan chī jiǎozi.) - As a child I loved dumplings.

And a 了 (le) can look ahead. These two are about the future:

• 快kuài下xià雨yǔ了le。 (Kuài xiàyǔ le.) - It's about to rain.
• 我wǒ明míng天tiān就jiù走zǒu了le。 (Wǒ míngtiān jiù zǒu le.) - I'm off tomorrow.

A habit can take the final 了 too, when the habit itself is new: 我wǒ现xiàn在zài每měi天tiān都dōu跑pǎo步bù了le。 (Wǒ xiànzài měitiān dōu pǎobù le.) - I run every day now. The question is never "is it past?" but "did it happen, or is it new?"

没 (méi) drops the 了 (le) after the verb

没 (méi) says the action did not happen, so the 了 that says it did has to go:

Two other sentences look similar and are not. 不 (bù) with a final 了 is a change of plan: 他tā不bù来lái了le。 (Tā bù lái le.) - He's not coming after all. And a final 了 can follow 没 when it marks a span that runs up to now: 我wǒ好hǎo久jiǔ没méi见jiàn他tā了le。 (Wǒ hǎojiǔ méi jiàn tā le.) - I haven't seen him for ages. What 没 rules out is the 了 straight after the verb.

Asking and answering: 了吗 (le ma), 还没 (hái méi)

To ask whether something has happened, end with 了吗 (le ma) or 了没有 (le méiyǒu). Answer yes with the verb and 了; answer no with 还没 (hái méi), "not yet", and no 了:

A 了 in a "not yet" answer, 还没吃了 (hái méi chī le), is one of the surest signs of a learner.

Set phrases with a final 了 (le)

A handful of everyday frames end in 了 (le). Learn them as chunks:

The first four are changes: about to happen, about to stop, no longer the plan. In 太好了 (tài hǎo le) the 了 is mostly emphasis.

Both at once: two of 了 (le)

A sentence can have both: one after the verb for the amount done, one at the end for "so far, and counting":

• 我wǒ吃chī了le三sān碗wǎn饭fàn了le。 (Wǒ chī le sān wǎn fàn le.) - I've had three bowls already.
• 他tā等děng了le一yí个gè小xiǎo时shí了le。 (Tā děng le yí ge xiǎoshí le.) - He's been waiting for an hour (and still is).

That pattern has its own page: the double 了 (le) sentence.

le or liǎo?

The particle is always le, in the neutral tone. The same character is read liǎo inside a few words and in the "can't manage it" form: 了解 (liǎojiě), understand; 受不了 (shòu bu liǎo), can't stand it. Those come with potential complements.

Mistakes English speakers make

What to do next

1. Do the drill below.
2. Say three things that are new today with a final 了: 我饿了 (wǒ è le), I'm hungry.
3. Then read the experiential 过 (guo), the other marker after the verb.