Chinese Grammar: How to use 了 le | Learn Chinese Now

Here is our explanation to the Chinese grammatical particle 了 le
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[@hellolabgroup]

Thank God. I've been freestyling just sprinkling it into my sentences. 😂 my boyfriend says I've been using it correctly but I had no idea what I was doing. 😂

[@tehninjadude]

These impromptu grammar videos are, to me, some of your best work. Very informative!

[@vomitcleanupinaisle3]

2:47 when you came to learn Chinese but instead learned how to get arrested

[@jimhazumu9265]

I am a native Chinese speaker. We have never systematically studied the usage of "have". Watching your video today is really a deeper understanding of my own language. 我是一位中文母語者。我們從來沒這麼系統的研究過“了”的用法。今天看了你的視頻真的是對自己的語言又有了更深的理解

[@MihaiKrieger]

can't wait for the second part. I love how simple and condensed it was. For some reason, I haven't been struggling with 了 that much, but I know many people have.

[@shazbat4436]

Brilliant video. Clear and informative. 这个视频非常好。谢谢你。

[@Archangel76]

Excellent video, great supplement to the course materials in my Chinese class. Thank you for your work!

[@caffwa]

I think the proper use of 'le' has been the most difficult part for me. Thanks for these examples! It has helped tremendously!

[@Apollys]

More grammar videos! These are amazing! It's really hard to find good grammar sources online for Chinese, please keep it up man!

[@torustory]

this lesson is so informative! I've been struggling with figuring out how to use 'le' right. Hope you can make part 2 soon!!

[@Kwonghun]

I really like the way you are explaining the grammar of the Chinese language and I appreciate that you are using the traditional characters because I also try to learn them first :) Subscribed!

[@brookepugh88]

This is so helpful, thank you so so much!

[@caoniba86]

A decade of confusion using 了 cleared up in 8 minutes. Bravo Sir. If you could do a short vid explaining future actions with 了would be awesome. I look forward to sifting through your videos and getting my grammar up to scratch!

[@TheGretaoto]

Simply amzing explanation! Thanks a lot!

[@simanontelodico]

FINALLY somebody who could explain me 了 in a CLEAR manner! thank you so much! waiting for part two :)

[@duotekvlogs]

love yourpronunciation

[@seeserocks]

thank you so much for this video! i always wondered about le

[@AndersonGScarpi]

Wow! This video is amazing. Thank you so much for uploading it, Ben.

[@giovanazuccas3723]

this video was so good for revising my chinese! i lived in china for 2 years and I often noticed these "patterns" you said in this video, but nobody could ever firmly confirmed these "guesses"...nice to have a confirmation lol love your videos, keep up the good work :)

[@malerieglasser5276]

Thank you so much! I have a test on this particle in my Mandarin class soon and this really helped!

[@rizzeideleon3899]

i personally love this explanation of 了 . :) it was really clear and simplified when it was always known to be complicated!!! 我学了怎么用"了"。。太好了！ thanks!!!

[@psingh1144]

Awh bless him, he's very enthusiastic. Love your videos !!

[@travelwell6049]

Yeah, 'future perfect' is for completed actions in the future. When you see the big park, you will have arrived. We use ed verb ending even though it's in the future, so mind not particularly blown. Anyway, great video, this is definitely a confusing one as it has so many different functions. Last de lesson was really useful too. :)

[@sandymoonstone855]

老师好。太棒了。 你很了不起。 谢谢

[@busterkeaton9474]

OMG DUDE I SPEND 2 HOURS SEARCHING THIS INFO TY SO MUCH

[@acerusioannes234]

ohh, I get it now, I tried looking 了 in my native language and we actually have a nearest equivalent so that made understanding easy. I have always thought it's for past tense, period. I would not have realized otherwise if it were not for this video. Thanks.

[@ianlippart8314]

I'd also like to see a video about the use of 就 which I see a lot but have trouble understanding the exact use for. Also, I moved to China last week, so thank you for you help in teaching me the language!

[@hyunjoon.watterson]

Nice Video!! Can you do a video for me about saying "Only" in Chinese? (Using 只，才...)

[@Anyox17]

Yeah I am confused about 只，才，and 就！

[@lolidkwhatmynameis6455]

只 is like only or something. 才 is like just. And 就 is like then. But then there are a lot more interpretations...

[@charlieputh282]

George Ayoub hey, guys i am Chinese 我可以教你们学中文

[@rogerioferraz888]

真棒！

[@EthanShaoDP]

这个视频解释的很好啊，很多这些关于“了”的用法我都不知道

[@ABab-jf2jb]

You are awesome! So easy to understand in both languages.

[@MrDirtBaggins]

Yes! These vids are great.

[@heeidi91]

please more vid of this kind!! it's really helping a lot :)

[@twotfreigh4946]

Dude, this is so helpful, awesome channel

[@sggod89]

Thanks, this was very helpful! I was always a little confused when it was used twice in one sentence

[@zacharymccann4138]

Good video! More like this please.

[@KillerTacos54]

Fantastic video

[@fwwryh7862]

This is the same in Thai. Loei but they often say le for extreme/very.

[@pinklemonade1531]

Wow yes mind blown!!! That explains a lot thanks!!

[@plerpplerp5599]

You are fabulous!

[@toBeABetterTranslator]

不错哟

[@seriekekomo]

Great video! Please do more advance things!!

[@georger868]

我很喜欢你的视频!☺

[@vuuoc]

I've been always confusing abut the using of "le". Now I know much better thank for this lesson. It would be great if you could make a similar lesson about 的。 谢谢老师！

[@LeaPriscilla-LeapCreative]

Thank you so much!

[@ffzelda5076]

教的很不错

[@kevinthehouse2445]

very interesting video! I knew a couple uses but this is just a lot more interesting! this kind of videos are easier to make (I guess lol) and a lot more useful to us (students) :)

[@Artemusicstring]

Que bien que enseñas!!!

[@worldaviation4k]

One thing I had to rethink when getting an apartment was that i wanted to have one near a park but that's a mistake because every morning there was music and older people doing all these stretches in unison. It wasn't what i wanted to watch in the morning ^_^ So now i look for city apartments

[@Brawler2818]

I am impressed !!

[@consequenceable]

thank you!!

[@georger868]

你好Ben! I'm new to your channel but I was wondering if you have a video on the usage of 是 ( when to use it and when not to use it in a sentence)谢谢您☺

[@asimqadri2009]

太 棒 了

[@bozhang6448]

太刺激了 Too exciting😁😁

[@miketyson9144]

Please make more grammar videos, pleeeeeeeeeasse!

[@MrC0MPUT3R]

Hurray! Thanks for this :)

[@nm-pl9eo]

Hey Ben, have you done a video distinguishing 的 and 了 in ‘past tense’? I just can’t find a good explanation. This would be a great video for you to do.

[@heatherhuang3628]

很棒

[@Scottishenglish]

I'd like to suggest a topic for a future episode: how typing works with the myriad of Chinese characters, on computers/ tablets/ phones etc. But as per the question above about Buddhist chanting, a look at religion in China would also be really interesting

[@senthilkumaran7914]

Greetings! Could you please make a video describing how and when the tone for the word "yi" (一) changes depending on the tone of the word that precedes it? It's really quite confusing.

[@yolandajo8657]

你太帅了。决定订阅！

[@tarunjain123able]

useful information you are very good at chinese why don't you make your own setup of teaching chinese online programme like yoyochinese have by the way I see every video of you Jia you

[@MaxDIY1]

U fully good mate.

[@raquelfernandez5533]

The le at the end or after the verb, it doesn't only have to be if you incorporate numbers. As soon as you specify the object ("I watched a FANTASY movie", "I watched a BORING movie", "I watched a movie about (using de) two friends fighting", then you'd always put the le directly after the verb, right? What still to this day needs my full attention when forming these kind of sentences is if you've got components of directions. Like "I took the Chinese textbook out of my bag". 我把中文课本拿出背包来 or 我把中文课本拿背包出来？

[@countrymui]

With the specific examples you gave on watching movies, yes, you put the le directly after the verb. You incorporate numbers when you want to describe the movie, just like in English (I watched movies vs I watched TWO boring movies). "I took the Chinese textbook out of my bag" is 我从书包里拿出中文课本 or 把中文课本从书包里拿出

[@colinfoster575]

Can you do a video on 个

[@kayharris2778]

First comment! I love your videos Ben, I also love those cushions

[@basicinfo6816]

Very nice Video. Sir please also explain the usage of ne and ba. Thanks

[@user-xu7cg7tc2i]

Most of the time they are modal particles, with no need to make any difference, and the key is the tone when you speak

[@basicinfo6816]

xingrui wang Ok thanks. are you Chinese?

[@bribart402]

love the LINE friends pillows. hahaha

[@LoyaFrostwind]

bri bart , I thought they seemed familiar somehow. I saw them in Taiwan, all over the Metro. And I got a couple t-shirts with them .

[@Casutama]

Can you do a comparison between le and guo? Please?!

[@igorgoga7985]

Hello, Would you be so kind to suggest a resource for learning mandarin for beginners with audio. Many thanks!

[@icecreamy7351]

In the video you explained that 了 is used after numbers, so you gave an example with movies. Why didn't you use 了after 看到 （了）一个大公园 in the last example?

[@huimingwu3177]

Is there a part 2?

[@adhd5865]

I like the music in these videos, it sounds like bluegrass

[@dawang5733]

something to think about it, if you think you understand 了：-)。我吃饭了。我吃了饭。我吃了饭了。

[@jamesyang420]

我吃饭了 -- I *ate* 我吃了饭 - I ate the *meal* 我吃了饭了 - I *did* ate the meal

[@mingruiyang9679]

@@jamesyang420 I had eaten my meal

[@jamesyang420]

Mingrui Yang 我吃过饭了 过 emphasizes a past experience, i.e. I *had eaten*

[@himeshsingh5993]

Please suggest the use of kuai with let.

[@himeshsingh5993]

Kuai with le

[@laurengonzales9010]

@JOLLY this is the chinese version of Josh!

[@skeletonluver2427]

hmm i wonder if its hard to learn chinese mandarin and japanses because it looks likeア so idk if i can learn 2 languages will it be hard plese can somon leave suggestions.

[@huyenle2k]

Hi, would you please help me? Why can't I find anything on the italki page? I use the Italki, but when I click the "Start learning now" button under your image in the italki link you offered, it just led me to my dashboard with nothing in it?

[@benthelearner6104]

for me 了 is the "ed" of english... As you showed, I am not right for all case but most of them. I did learn about 了。。。了。

[@user-si2gk2md7h]

Круто!

[@wackywong]

Seeing all these examples it seems that when 了 is used after a verb it is used in the same way as 咗 in Cantonese. Is that right?

[@wackywong]

To answer my own question: according to cantodict 了 functions exactly the way I thought it would. www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/460/

[@ringwan5397]

你中文语法很厉害。

[@borispolyakov4865]

Hello Ben, would you please expand on the usage of 了 in the negative sentences, particularly the past ones (that is, using 沒) in the next video? I am rather confused with this particular 文法. The first time we've approached the subject, my teacher told me 了 cannot be used with 沒, but then the other time we did use it like that. She did say something about the change of status rule and other things and they kind of make sense, but honestly I'd rather go through it again just to make sure. Thanks!

[@raquelfernandez5533]

Mei.... Le (sorry, no Chinese characters on my phone) is for when not... Anymore. Meiyou danta le = there's no more eggtarts ;)

[@borispolyakov4865]

Oh, I see, thank you a lot! :)

[@diverstalent]

😄

[@alanjiang5101]

As a Chinese native speaker, I want to correct some sentences in this video. First, we'll NEVER use 我已經去了 in daily life, because can mean “I already orgasmed”. Second，better to say 看過了, 我看過了 or 我已經看過了 than 我已經看了. Third, for “I have studied Chiese for four years” you should say 我學过四年中文 and for the next sentence is better to say 我學中文（有）四年了 or 我已經學了四年中文了. Fourth，等你到了十字路口右轉 or 你到十字路口右轉 and 等看到公園時你就到了(I think we don't say "A big park" ，we just say “part” in this kind of sentences.) are more often to use. I‘m not to mean that the grammar taught in this video is wrong. It's just that we don't speak in that way.

[@XxRandomHeroxX9]

Why do the numbers in some of the sentences not sound like numbers when you count? I'm confused

你中文不错啊

[@bowmanc.7439]

了is similar to the perfect aspect.

[@carlavlund5841]

I'd wish there was a channel like this, but for Japanese :( I'm self-taught in Japanese on a conversational level, but I need a nice, free way to learn even more...

[@AngelLee162540]

you can check out this youtuber "The Anime Man", he made some videos on japanese language called japanese 101

[@carlavlund5841]

Sorry, no offense, but I'm not gonna watch that weeb shit.

[@andreleane3115]

I am Chinese, I have to say that you are amazing! Mandarin is really difficult but you can use it so perfect, even better than our people living in other provinces.

[@desiderataification]

can you do a video about 被

[@user-ft3vc6gc2j]

I eat you(我吃你), I am eaten by you(我被你吃), etc.

[@senthilkumaran7914]

被 is used to make a sentence passive. （你吃我）becomes （我被你吃）。

[@stanleyccc7997]

Be + v+p.p

[@nikeboy69er]

Is it similar to Singapore's "lah"?

[@jezzaboi2168]

Singapore's lah is more like a thing that you put to be more casual or dismissive of something eg: "Not really" Becomes "Not really lah" as a result is more laid back about it. It wouldn't be used in a serious or formal context.

[@taidyesch]

@@jezzaboi2168 That's interesting, buddy. Also, in Thailand, they use 'kah' if you're female and 'kahb' if you're male at the end of every sentence to show respect to each other. They also say 'na kah', 'na kahb' or just 'na' to be polite and to show courtesy. sawadee kah hello kah kapu na kahb thank you na kahb thami na? why na?

[@user-sm2jt6rf5w]

哇！边练听力边用外国人的视角学中文，真的好玩😂

[@gulyascredo]

As a polyglot Chinese I highly recommend people who wanna learn these kind of stuff to cultivate their sense.. We can tell how complicated when one wanna define the rules lol. But great. (Ok I'm just kinda fed up of learning languages and try to watch Chinese-learning video to relief myself lol)

[@SupralRajJoshi]

Why traditional characters though?

[@penguinzlord]

what a dork. great video :D thanks

[@Talitamfernandes]

I wish you had talked about "hao le" and "wan le"....

[@OmarZatto23]

I've seen the character 儿( 兒） very often in the ending of some sentences, what's the use of that ending particle?

[@cwk18]

it serves no purpose actually, i think it is kind of a accent in China. You can absolutely build a sentence without 儿 and being absolutely correct.

[@chriszero7833]

you are damn right. Putting "er=儿" in the ending of sentence (not always) is just the way the native of Beijing speak. It's just accent thing.I have been waiting for a while = 我已经等了一会儿. If no er at the end, it's still correct and same meaning.

[@Yusuf1187]

I don't understand the reason for 了 in 我们快到了. If you are saying you're going to arrive soon, how does adding 了 change the meaning of the statement?

[@ygyeh]

This is only a particle which help to finish a complete sentence, together, it tells other people ur in a certain process and ur abt finish this process. If you remove it from this sentence, you are supposed to put some nouns at the end of this sentence to let people know where you are about to go, otherwise this is not a complete sentence. Thus, basically u can tell that this word here dose not have a specific meaning but it can finish a sentence which describes a ongoing process. Put it in this way, if you say this sentence to me without 了， as a native speaker, I am definitely gonna wait for you to finish this sentence telling me where you are about to go, whereas if you put the 了 at the end of this sentence, I would reply: Oh, got it. Keep going.

[@viictor1309]

and how do i use "liao" 了

[@cwk18]

了is 多音多意字in chinese, which mean single word having 2 sounds.了 can be pronounced as liao and le,and interchangeably. Malaysian and singoporean mostly pronouce `liao', while china and taiwan mostly pronouced 'le'..

[@viictor1309]

ok thx :)

[@waterspray5743]

Single words may have different pronunciations to mean different things.

[@bischan123]

its used in a different situation. ex) 受不了, shou bu liao. Notice that doesnt read as "ai“ either. That phrase means, "I cannot take it." Like if you were at ends meet. This is only situation I can think of where 了 is read as "liao."

[@MattZeeX]

You're right Chris, but just an fyi, 爱 and 受 are two different characters unlike le and liao.