Sentence pattern · Band 2
How long: duration after the verb
动词 + 了 + 时间
How long did it run? Verb plus 了 plus the stretch of time: 学了两年 means studied for two years, and the object trails after. English waits for two whole years at the end; Mandarin bolts the duration straight onto the finished verb. Waiting, sleeping, studying, all measured the same way.
Hear it in a sentence
Mistakes people make
The duration rides right after 了 on the verb, before the object; English parks the stretch at the end.
With an object in play, 了 rides directly on the verb, never after the duration.
Words in this pattern
Quick answers
What does 时量补语 mean?
How long did it run? Verb plus 了 plus the stretch of time: 学了两年 means studied for two years, and the object trails after. English waits for two whole years at the end; Mandarin bolts the duration straight onto the finished verb. Waiting, sleeping, studying, all measured the same way.
How do you build it?
动词 + 了 + 时间
What is the most common mistake?
我学汉语了两年。 → 我学了两年汉语。
The duration rides right after 了 on the verb, before the object; English parks the stretch at the end.
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