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01
Verb + 了: an action is completed
Place 了 after a verb to mark a completed action in a particular context. Chinese often uses time words to tell you when; 了 itself is not a general past-tense ending.
SUBJECT
我
wǒ · I
VERB + 了
买了
mǎi le · bought
OBJECT / AMOUNT
两本书
liǎng běn shū · two books
Subject + verb + 了 + number/measure word + object
Books
我买了两本书。
Wǒ mǎi le liǎng běn shū.
I bought two books.
Yesterday
我昨天吃了一个苹果。
Wǒ zuótiān chī le yí ge píngguǒ.
I ate an apple yesterday.
Movie
我们看了一部电影。
Wǒmen kàn le yí bù diànyǐng.
We watched a movie.
Class
他上了一节中文课。
Tā shàng le yì jié Zhōngwén kè.
He attended one Chinese lesson.
💡 Completed-action 了 usually follows the verb. Time words such as 昨天 can be used with it, but completed does not always mean past.
02
Sentence-final 了: a new situation
When 了 appears at the end of a sentence, it often signals that something has changed or is newly relevant. These two uses can overlap, so learn them through context.
SITUATION
天
tiān · weather
CHANGE
冷
lěng · cold
SENTENCE END
了
le · now / change
A changed situation + 了 (at the end of the sentence)
Weather changed
天冷了。
Tiān lěng le.
It has gotten cold.
Now raining
下雨了。
Xià yǔ le.
It has started to rain.
Ready to go
我们可以走了。
Wǒmen kěyǐ zǒu le.
We can go now.
No longer want
我不想喝咖啡了。
Wǒ bù xiǎng hē kāfēi le.
I don’t want coffee anymore.
💡 A sentence such as 下雨了 describes a new situation, even though it is not a classic “past-tense” sentence.
03
Compare action completion and change
Look at the position of 了 and ask what the speaker is highlighting.
Completed action
我买了两本书。
Wǒ mǎi le liǎng běn shū.
I bought two books.
Changed situation
天冷了。
Tiān lěng le.
The weather has turned cold.
Completed event
我昨天喝了两杯茶。
Wǒ zuótiān hē le liǎng bēi chá.
I drank two cups of tea yesterday.
New decision
我不喝茶了。
Wǒ bù hē chá le.
I’m not drinking tea anymore.
04
Common mistakes to avoid
✗ Not for simple “did not do”
我没买了那本书。
Wǒ méi mǎi le nà běn shū.
Incorrect for the simple negation of a completed purchase.
✓ 没 + verb (without completed-action 了)
我没买那本书。
Wǒ méi mǎi nà běn shū.
I did not buy that book.
✗ Do not treat 了 as only past tense
下雨了。
Xià yǔ le.
This does not merely mean “It rained yesterday.”
✓ Understand the change in context
下雨了，我们回家吧。
Xià yǔ le, wǒmen huí jiā ba.
It has started raining; let’s go home.
05
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06
Build a natural Chinese sentence
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07
Speak like a real person!
Tell a tiny story: what you finished, and what has changed around you.
Say something you bought recently.
Describe a completed activity yesterday.
Say something that has changed about the weather.
Say something you don’t want anymore.
Show sample answers ↓
Bought
我买了两本书。
Wǒ mǎi le liǎng běn shū.
I bought two books.
Activity
我昨天看了一部电影。
Wǒ zuótiān kàn le yí bù diànyǐng.
I watched a movie yesterday.
Change
天冷了。
Tiān lěng le.
It has gotten cold.
New preference
我不想喝茶了。
Wǒ bù xiǎng hē chá le.
I don’t want tea anymore.
Takeaway 🌸
Verb + 了 can show completion; sentence-final 了 often highlights a change
