Sentence pattern · Band 1
了 after the verb: the action got done
动词 + 了 + 数量 + 名词
了 hung right after a verb says the deed is done: bought, eaten, finished. English waves its flag at the end; Mandarin hangs it on the verb. Steal this habit early: a completed action likes company, a number or some detail. I bought three books sounds complete; I bought, full stop, sounds like the call dropped.
Hear it in a sentence
Mistakes people make
A completed verb plus a bare noun feels cut off; completion wants a number or a detail to land on.
了 rides on the verb's back, right after it; it never leads the parade.
Words in this pattern
Quick answers
What does 了：动作完成 mean?
了 hung right after a verb says the deed is done: bought, eaten, finished. English waves its flag at the end; Mandarin hangs it on the verb. Steal this habit early: a completed action likes company, a number or some detail. I bought three books sounds complete; I bought, full stop, sounds like the call dropped.
How do you build it?
动词 + 了 + 数量 + 名词
What is the most common mistake?
我买了书。 → 我买了一本书。
A completed verb plus a bare noun feels cut off; completion wants a number or a detail to land on.
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