Verb + 了 + Duration + 了 (have been …-ing)
Still going after all this time
- Single (completed / change)了 tells you how long something lasted.
- Add a second (completed / change)了 and it means it's still happening now.
- That extra (completed / change)了 is the gap between "studied" and "have been studying".
Verb + (completed / change)了 + Duration + (completed / change)了
- The closing (completed / change)了 says the action reaches up to now and continues.
I我study学了three三year年Chinese中文了。
- 我学(completed / change)了三年Chinese language中文(completed / change)了 = "I've been studying Chinese for three years (and still am)."
Practice
Still ongoing — add the final particle: 我学了三年中文 ____。
The closing 了 = still happening now: 学了三年中文了.
Practice
Build: “I've been studying Chinese for three years.”
Verb + 了 + Duration + 了: 我 + 学了三年中文 + 了.
One (completed / change)了 vs two (completed / change)了
- …学了三年 = studied for three years (maybe finished).
- …学了三年(completed / change)了 = have been studying for three years (still ongoing).
Explore
Correct or broken?
V + 了 + duration + 了 says the action is STILL running — the final 了 keeps it alive.
Practice
Which one means he is STILL studying now?
The second 了 makes it ongoing up to now: 学了三年了.
Practice
The second 了 tells you the action has stopped.
Opposite — it tells you the action CONTINUES up to now.
Recap
Key idea
- Verb + (completed / change)了 + Duration + (completed / change)了 — ongoing, "have been …-ing" up to now
- The second (completed / change)了 carries the "still happening" meaning
- 学了三年 (done) vs 学了三年(completed / change)了 (still going)
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Verb phrases.