Verb phrasesHSK 3
Expressing ongoing duration with double 了
To talk about an ongoing action that began in the past, use Verb + 了 + Duration + 了. The first 了 indicates the action's completion of a certain amount, and the final 了 shows the action is still in progress. Without the second 了, the sentence would instead mean the action is finished.
Structure
Subj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + 了
Examples
- 你睡了一天了。Nǐ shuì le yī tiān le .You have been sleeping for the whole day.
- 他在北京住了两年了。Tā zài Běijīng zhù le liǎng nián le .He has been living in Beijing for two years.
- 这个会，他们开了两个小时了。Zhège huì, tāmen kāi le liǎng gè xiǎoshí le .They've been holding this meeting for the past two hours.
- 我在这儿等了半个小时了。Wǒ zài zhèr děng le bàn gè xiǎoshí le .I have been waiting here for half an hour.
- 他们在酒吧待了一个晚上了。Tāmen zài jiǔbā dāi le yī gè wǎnshang le .They have been staying at the bar for the whole evening.