HSK 3
V 了 DURATION 了
V le DURATION le
have been V-ing for DURATION
Structure
Subject + Verb + 了 + Duration + 了
How it works
This structure is used to express an action that started in the past, has continued for a specific duration, and is still ongoing at the present moment. The first '了' indicates the completion or occurrence of the action up to a point, while the second '了' at the end of the sentence indicates a change of state or that the situation is continuing.
Examples
我学汉语一年了。
Wǒ xué Hànyǔ yīnián le.
I have been studying Chinese for one year (and I'm still studying).
他看电视看了两个小时了。
Tā kàn diànshì kànle liǎng gè xiǎoshí le.
He has been watching TV for two hours (and is still watching).
他们在北京住了五年了。
Tāmen zài Běijīng zhùle wǔnián le.
They have lived in Beijing for five years.
Common mistakes
Forgetting the final '了' often changes the meaning to a completed action in the past (e.g., 'I studied for a year but stopped') rather than an ongoing one.
Tip
If the verb has an object, you must either repeat the verb (V+Obj+V+了+Duration+了) or place the duration between the verb and the object (V+了+Duration+的+Obj+了).
More HSK 3 grammar
See V 了 DURATION 了 in real Chinese
Import an article and tap any sentence using it. The explanation comes back about the sentence in front of you, not a textbook example.
Try InputDojo free