{"id":3130,"date":"2019-11-03T16:36:56","date_gmt":"2019-11-03T16:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/chinese-grammar\/chinese-grammarwhen-will-we-use-le-in-chinese\/"},"modified":"2019-11-03T16:36:56","modified_gmt":"2019-11-03T16:36:56","slug":"chinese-grammarwhen-will-we-use-le-in-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/de\/chinese-grammarwhen-will-we-use-le-in-chinese\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese grammar\uff1aWhen will we use \u4e86 in Chinese?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This is one of the simplest of all Chinese particles, one which you probably encountered in Chapter 1 of your textbook. The mother of all Newbie conundrums: \u4e86.<\/p>\n

This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive, comprehensive study of \u4e86, but rather a guide as you embark on your Chinese grammar journey (or need a brushing up)!<\/p>\n

Let’s study the 4 most basic uses of \u4e86 now.<\/p>\n

1. After a verb or adjective, indicating completion<\/strong><\/p>\n

In its most basic incarnation, \u4e86 is usually placed after a verb (or occasio<\/em>nally adjective) to indicate completion of an action, which usually indicates the past tense. Yet there are cases when it is used to indicate the expected completion of an action, in which case it is not necessarily past tense.<\/p>\n

Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n

w\u01d2 t\u012bng le zhè sh\u01d2u g\u0113
\u6211\u542c\u4e86\u8fd9\u9996\u6b4c<\/div>\n
I’ve listened to this song<\/div>\n
w\u01d2 ch\u012b le fàn y\u01d0 hòu yào ch\u016b qù
\u6211\u5403\u4e86\u996d\u4ee5\u540e\u8981\u51fa\u53bb<\/div>\n
After I’m done eating, I want to go out<\/div>\n
Ó, zhè ge wèn tí w\u01d2 d\u01d2ng le
\u54e6, \u8fd9\u4e2a\u95ee\u9898\u6211\u61c2\u4e86<\/div>\n
Oh, I understand this problem<\/div>\n
xiàn j\u012bn m\u01cei qì ch\u0113 gèng guì le
\u73b0\u4eca\u4e70\u6c7d\u8f66\u66f4\u8d35\u4e86<\/div>\n
Buying a car these days is even more expensive<\/div>\n

2. End of sentence, indicating change of circumstance<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beyond signalling the completion of a specific verb, adding \u4e86 to the end of a sentence shows a circumstance has changed, and a new state exists.<\/p>\n

Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n

w\u01d2 è le
\u6211\u997f\u4e86<\/div>\n
I’m hungry (I wasn’t hungry before, but am now!)<\/div>\n
t\u0101 zh\u014dng yú lái le
\u4ed6\u7ec8\u4e8e\u6765\u4e86<\/div>\n
He’s finally arrived<\/div>\n
w\u01d2 y\u01d0 qián m\u011bi ti\u0101n kàn diàn shì, dàn shì xiàn zài máng le
\u6211\u4ee5\u524d\u6bcf\u5929\u770b\u7535\u89c6\uff0c \u4f46\u662f\u73b0\u5728\u5fd9\u4e86<\/div>\n
Before I watched TV every day, but I’m too busy now<\/div>\n

3. Excessive!<\/strong><\/p>\n

A truly wo<\/em>nderful grammar pattern absolutely worth mastering, \u592a…\u4e86 is a set pattern expressing an excessive amount or extent of an adjective or adverb. Learn this pattern, it will serve you well.<\/p>\n

Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n

n\u01d0 duì w\u01d2 tài h\u01ceo le
\u4f60\u5bf9\u6211\u592a\u597d\u4e86<\/div>\n
You are too good to me<\/div>\n
zhè jiàn chèn y\u012b tài guì le!
\u8fd9\u4ef6\u886c\u8863\u592a\u8d35\u4e86!<\/div>\n
This shirt is way too expensive!<\/div>\n
zhè xi\u0113 shù jù tài bù kào p\u01d4 le
\u8fd9\u4e9b\u6570\u636e\u592a\u4e0d\u9760\u8c31\u4e86<\/div>\n
This data is not reliable at all<\/div>\n

4. Able or unable<\/strong><\/p>\n

Finally, the major usage of \u4e86 isn’t even pro<\/em>nounced le! When preceded by either \u5f97 or \u4e0d, it is almost always pro<\/em>nounced “li\u01ceo“. In the case of \u4e0d\u4e86, it indicates the inability or impossibility of completing the verb preceding it. In the case of \u5f97\u4e86, it means to successfully complete or finish the task which preceded it, or the ability to complete it.<\/p>\n

Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n

w\u01d2 ch\u012b bù li\u01ceo
\u6211\u5403\u4e0d\u4e86<\/div>\n
I’m unable to eat this<\/div>\n
w\u01d2 méi zuò wán zuò yè, w\u01d2 qù bù li\u01ceo!
\u6211\u6ca1\u505a\u5b8c\u4f5c\u4e1a\uff0c \u6211\u53bb\u4e0d\u4e86!<\/div>\n
I haven’t finished my homework, I can’t go!<\/div>\n
w\u01d2 néng bàn dé li\u01ceo
\u6211\u80fd\u529e\u5f97\u4e86<\/div>\n
I’ll be able to do it<\/div>\n
n\u01d0 ch\u012b dé li\u01ceo y\u012b zh\u011bng zh\u01d0 j\u012b ma?
\u4f60\u5403\u5f97\u4e86\u4e00\u6574\u53ea\u9e21\u5417?<\/div>\n
You can eat an entire chicken?<\/div>\n

So…Remember this<\/p>\n

1) \u4e86 is NOT equivalent of past tense. It indicates the completion of an action or change of status, and can be used in any tense. It is not the English equivalent of the suffix -ed. Don’t co<\/em>nfuse \u4e86 with \u8fc7.<\/p>\n

2) \u4e86 is NOT always pro<\/em>nounced “le”. In cases preceded by either \u4e0d or \u5f97 (or in words meaning “to understand” like \u4e86\u89e3), it is usually pro<\/em>nounced “li\u01ceo”.<\/p>\n

3) You’ll learn more by watching 10 minutes of FluentU videos than scouring the internet for detailed dissertations of small grammar points. Study accordingly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n