Use of the particle: le
ngk79
July 14, 2007, 12:17 AM posted in General DiscussionI was wondering if anyone can explain to me when the particle " le " is used.
For example: wo yao banjia le,
Ken and Jenny touched on this in the podcast, but I was wondering if anyone can give me a more in-depth reason for when it is used.
Thanks
KennyK
July 16, 2007, 09:15 AMnice list amber... that makes it very clear :)
italiana
July 14, 2007, 02:34 AMWait so if 了 is used for future tense, what is used for past tense? Anyone know?
f1b1
July 14, 2007, 08:59 AM了, as far as I know, is for a completed action. Future tense is what I will be feeling shortly, when I get back to the housework. :)
merlinoj
July 14, 2007, 10:37 AMSome good examples here http://tinyurl.com/yppsbw
italiana
July 14, 2007, 12:51 PMf1b1, 了is for past tense then? I am confuzed now, the Qing Wen says "Le: Something is about to happen" which would make it future tense. Can it be used as both? Is 把used as future tense as well?
italiana
July 14, 2007, 02:33 AMActually I guess 了(le) is used for future tense rather than past tense. Did you see the new Qing Wen? It dicusses 了. Here's the link: http://chinesepod.com/extra/qing-wen-%e4%ba%86-le-somethings-about-to-happen/discussion
henning
July 15, 2007, 08:28 AMitaliana, 了 is actually used to express a variety of concepts. The construction from the QW is just one among many. This is exactly what makes it tricky:
- Is it combined with a 要 or 快 and expresses immediate future?
- Is it directly glued to the verb to denote past tense?
- Is it placed at the end to the sentence to introduce the ongoing nature of the event discussed?
- Or is it ineeed just added there for emphasis (in other words: just for the fun of it)?
Lantian
July 15, 2007, 09:20 AMHi Ivy and others, LOTS OF 了 - I think I started to understand how to use "le" 了 much better when I started to ignore it's use as past tense and instead tried to understand the whole context of the situation. Like Ivy said, it's almost just for emphasis at times. It's used in many many ways. All of which feel quite natural after listening and speaking a little while. Some Cpoders have worried a lot about learning from mistakes, I say - - beware of over simplified grammar explanations!!
amber
July 16, 2007, 08:13 AMhi everyone, Yes, there are a lot of different usages of 了 and sentence patterns that use 了. We will be discussing them one by one, eventually, on the Qing Wen podcast. Here are a couple of the more common ones, in the meantime, with some example sentences: 了 (le) that expresses a completed action: 昨天我买了一件新衣服。 (Zuótiān wǒ mǎi le yī jiàn xīn yīfu.) I bought a new piece of clothing yesterday. 吃饭了吗？ (Chīfàn le ma?) Have you eaten? 了 (le) that expresses a change in status, situation: 你最近瘦了。 (Nǐ zuìjìn shòu le.) You've gotten thinner recently. 天气变冷了。 (Tiānqì biàn lěng le.) The weather has turned cold. Now, another usage of 了(le) is as part of a sentence pattern that expresses that an action that is about to or going to happen, as in this week's Qing Wen: pattern: (要……了、快要……了、就要……了) (yào...le, kuài yào....le, jiùyào.....le) 就要下雨了。 (Jiùyào xiàyǔ le.) It's about to rain. 我下个月要去中国了。 (Wǒ xià ge yuè yào qù Zhōngguó le.) I'm going to be going to China next month. Another 了 (le) is part of a pattern that expresses an exclamatory tone: pattern: (太……了) (tài...le) 你的小狗太可爱了。 (Nǐ de xiǎo gǒu tài kě'ài le.) Your dog is so cute! 太棒了。 (Tài bàng le.) Too great!
rich
July 16, 2007, 09:06 AMAnd then there the fun fact that 了 is also prounced “liǎo“! That when it means either "finish or dispose of" or "know clearly, understand"... enjoy! :) 吃不了 Can't finish eating it (chī bù liǎo) 我了解他了 I understand him now (wǒ liǎo jiě tā le) Okay, that's at a different level, just don't want to forget that when you see 了 it is multi-functional beyond belief.
ivyzhang
July 14, 2007, 04:05 PMhmm..i think it is hard to explain "le". here are some examples---1, 我吃饱了（wo chi bao le,i'm full).it is used for past tense.2, 我要走了（wo yao zou le, i've got to go). it is used for future tense. but in my opinion, the purpose of use "le" is to emphasized what u said
italiana
July 14, 2007, 01:37 AMWhat I understand (correct me if I am wrong) is that it is used after a verb to make it past tense. But I am not possitive on that.