(le) — (particle, after a verb) indicates a completed action; (particle, at end of sentence) indicates a change of state or new situation

Definition

了 (le) is the most basic completed-action and change-of-state particle in Chinese. After a verb it marks a finished action; at the end of a sentence it signals that something has changed or is new.

particle
(particle, after a verb) indicates a completed action(particle, at end of sentence) indicates a change of state or new situation

Examples

  • Wǒ chī le fàn.
    I ate (my meal).
  • Tā lái le.
    He has come / He is here now.
  • Shuǐ hǎo le.
    The water is ready (has become ready).

Grammar

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