Sentence-final 了 (change of state)
IntroducedHunger becomes a new situation
- You were not hungry before, but now want food.
- I我hungry饿(completed / change)了。 — Final (completed / change)了 marks hunger as a new relevant state.
You were not hungry before, but now want food. What does 我饿了。 communicate?
Final 了 marks hunger as a new relevant state. This 了 does not mean finished being hungry. Verb-了 marks perfective aspect in other uses; do not translate every 了 as a past-tense or completed-action ending.
Build the form
- The pattern in this lesson is Sentence-final (completed / change)了 (change of state). Locate it in the original interlinear examples below.
- Keep the words in their demonstrated positions; the pattern must fit the intended situation as well as the sentence form.
rain下雨了。
Using the lesson pattern in this demonstrated example: It's raining now: 下雨 ____。
Sentence-final 了 = a new situation: 下雨了 (it's raining now).
Read examples in context
I我hungry饿了。
- In the opening example, I我hungry饿(completed / change)了。: Final (completed / change)了 marks hunger as a new relevant state.
- Explain who acts, what is described and which time or group is relevant before choosing an English paraphrase.
What does the sentence-final 了 signal?
It marks “now it's different”: 我饿了 (I'm hungry now).
Build: “I'm hungry now.”
Subj + Adj + 了: 我 + 饿 + 了 (= I've gotten hungry).
Know the boundary
- This (completed / change)了 does not mean finished being hungry.
- Verb-(completed / change)了 marks perfective aspect in other uses; do not translate every (completed / change)了 as a past-tense or completed-action ending.
This 了 only ever marks a completed action, never a change.
Sentence-final 了 marks a CHANGE / new situation: 他走了.
我饿了 means that being hungry has finished.
This 了 does not mean finished being hungry. Verb-了 marks perfective aspect in other uses; do not translate every 了 as a past-tense or completed-action ending. Final 了 marks hunger as a new relevant state.
Use the distinction
- Final (completed / change)了 marks hunger as a new relevant state.
- This (completed / change)了 does not mean finished being hungry. Verb-(completed / change)了 marks perfective aspect in other uses; do not translate every (completed / change)了 as a past-tense or completed-action ending.
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Particles.
You were not hungry before, but now want food. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.