ParticlesHSK 3
Change of state with 了
The particle 了 at the end of a sentence indicates a change of state or a new situation. It often follows an adjective to express that something has become a certain way. Be careful not to confuse this with the aspectual 了 used for completed actions.
Structure
Subj. + Adj. + 了
Used with adjectives that describe a changing state like 'hungry', 'tired', 'old'.
Examples
- 我饿了。Wǒ è le .I'm hungry.
- 孩子们都累了。Háizi men dōu lèi le .The kids are all tired.
- 妈妈老了。Māma lǎo le .Mom has gotten old.
- 你胖了。Nǐ pàng le .You've gotten fat.
- 你是不是生气了？Nǐ shì bu shì shēngqì le ?Are you mad?