From 2db060d608a5c1250c5f21410143d0ead10f6838 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Jack Bond-Preston Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2024 18:37:05 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] vault update: 2024-07-11 18:37:05 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Affected files: 了le.md --- 了le.md | 61 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++- 1 file changed, 60 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/了le.md b/了le.md index e58f6da..34f7376 100644 --- a/了le.md +++ b/了le.md @@ -4,4 +4,63 @@ The verbal 了 is used primarily to mark the completion [[Aspect|aspect]] of a verb. Note that this is not equivalent to marking a past action (tense). In English, the "perfective"/"completive" may appear in all three tenses: 1. Past Perfect: I *had* already arrived (when he called). -2. \ No newline at end of file +2. Present Perfect: I have already arrived. +3. Future Perfect: I will/shall have arrived (by 8PM tomorrow). +"Perfect" refers to the completion of perfection aspect of an action, signalling that the action as represented by the verb has attained its completion by a certain point in time. + +The Chinese "verb + 了" serves to mark the perfective aspect. "verb + 了" can appear with a future, present, or past action - as long as the context calls for its use. + +## 了 doesn't apply to all past actions +Since past actions are often also already accomplished actions, "verb + 了" is often used for past actions. However, past actions don't have to have a 了 - it's only needed when the completion aspect is stressed. + +### Habitual Actions +For example, when describing a habitual action in the past, 了 is not used: +1. 他以前常常来看我。 + He used to often come to see me. +2. 他昨天来了。 + He came yesterday. +In (2), a specific event took place yesterday, and thus is completed by now. However, (1) states a general or habitual situation in the past. Because the action in (1) was repeated on a regular basis, the emphasis is not on the perfective aspect - and 了 should not be used. Indeed, translating the sentence with "used to" - instead of just "came" - is also omitting the perfective aspect in English. + +### Describing State or Status +When a sentence reports a state/status in its entirety - and not measured in terms of its various aspectual phases - we don't use the perfective 了: +1. 他去年在中国学习汉语。 + He was studying Chinese in China last year. +The sentence describes his previous state as a Chinese language student for the entire year. Thus, the focus is on the continuous state and not it's conclusion. +Indeed, verbs such as 是 (to be), 姓 (to be surnamed), 有 (to have), etc. which pertain to status descriptions do not normally get used with 了: +1. 他以前是我老是。 + He used to be my teacher. +2. 王老师以前姓文。 + Teacher Wang's surname used to be Wen. +3. 今年以前，这儿都是电影院。 + A few years ago, this place used to be full of cinemas. + +### Descriptive Statements with Adjectives +Descriptive statements with an adjective do not employ the perfective 了. Adjectives are stative verbs in Chinese, and - as stative verbs - do not usually appear in the perfective: +1. 这个作家以前很又名。 + This author used to be very famous. +2. 昨天的酒会不太有意思。 + Yesterday's reception wasn't particularly interesting. + +### Sentences with the Degree Complement Construction +The [[Complements#Complement of Degree|degree complement]] is essentially a description of the state of achievement. Thus, we don't use the perfective 了 with it: +1. 你昨天跳舞跳得很好。 + You danced very well yesterday. + +### Sentences with Reported Speech +The emphasis when giving reported speech is more on what is being said, rather than the completion aspect of the speech itself. So, the quotation always begins with a simple verb such as 说，问, etc. and doesn't use the perfective 了: +1. 老师问我们， “你们想去参加招待会吗？”我们说：“我们都很想去。” + The teacher asked us, "Would you want to go to the reception?" We responded, "We would all love to." +2. 他说他不会翻译今天的课文。 + He said he didn't know how to translate today's text. + +## Grammatical Rules with Perfective 了 + +When the verb doesn't take an object, the aspectual 了 appears immediately after the verb. The negative of "verb + 了" is "没(有) + verb". The perfective 了 is cancelled by the presence of 没有 in the negative pattern: + +| Pos/Neg/Int | Construction | Meaning | +| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | +| Positive | Subject + Verb + 了 | has taken place | +| Negative | (a) Subject + 没(有) + Verb
(b) Subject + 还没(有) + Verb + 呢 | has not taken place
has not taken place yet, but would later | +| Interrogative | (a) Subject + Verb + 了 + 吗？
(b) Subject + Verb + 了 + 没有?
(c) Subject + Verb + 没 + Verb？ | | + +1. \ No newline at end of file