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Verb + 了 + Duration (did for a length of time)
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How long did you wait?
- Your friend was very late for lunch, and now she asks how long you waited.
- I我to wait for等(completed / change)了you你一个hours小时！ — "I waited for you for an hour!"
Verb + (completed / change)了 + Duration
- Subject + Verb + (completed / change)了 + duration = did it for that long (finished): I我sleep睡(completed / change)了eight八个hours小时, he他study学(completed / change)了two years两年.
- The duration comes after the verb, as in English "slept eight hours", never before it.
I我sleep睡了eight八个hours小时。
Complete: “I slept for ten hours yesterday.” 我昨天睡____十个小时。
Độ khó 1/5 · 100 xu + một phần thưởng nhỏ cho lần hoàn thành đầu tiên trong ngày
Verb + 了 + duration.
With an object: two patterns
- Duration before the object noun: he他study学(completed / change)了three years三年Chinese中文。 — "He studied Chinese for three years."
- Or repeat the verb: he他study学to hit (the mark)中literature文学(completed / change)了three years三年。 A person object (you你, he他) goes before the duration: I我to wait for等(completed / change)了you你一个hours小时.
he他study学Chinese中文study学了three years三年。
Build: “I waited for you for an hour.”
Độ khó 3/5 · 200 xu + một phần thưởng nhỏ cho lần hoàn thành đầu tiên trong ngày
A pronoun object comes before the duration.
Where the duration goes
- Duration after the verb: I我study学(completed / change)了two years两年, not I我two years两年study学(completed / change)了.
- With a noun object, do not put the duration last: I我study学(completed / change)了two years两年Chinese中文 or I我study学to hit (the mark)中literature文学(completed / change)了two years两年, not I我study学(completed / change)了Chinese中文two years两年.
Which says “She studied piano for five years.”?
Độ khó 1/5 · 100 xu + một phần thưởng nhỏ cho lần hoàn thành đầu tiên trong ngày
The duration goes between 了 and the noun object.
Finished, or still going?
- Verb + (completed / change)了 + duration with no final (completed / change)了 reports a finished period: I我in在Beijing北京live住(completed / change)了two years两年 — "I lived in Beijing for two years (then left)."
- Adding a final (completed / change)了 says it is still going on; that pattern is the next lesson.
I我in在Beijing北京live住了two years两年。
我在北京住了两年 can describe a stay that has ended.
Độ khó 1/5 · 100 xu + một phần thưởng nhỏ cho lần hoàn thành đầu tiên trong ngày
With no final 了, the period is reported as complete.
Recap
- Verb + (completed / change)了 + duration = did it for that long: to wait for等(completed / change)了一个hours小时.
- With an object: study学(completed / change)了three years三年Chinese中文 or study学to hit (the mark)中literature文学(completed / change)了three years三年; a pronoun object comes before the duration: to wait for等(completed / change)了you你一个hours小时.
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Verb phrases.
Your friend was very late for lunch, and now she asks how long you waited. 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.