AdverbsHSK 4
Expressing duration of inaction
Use this pattern to express how long an action hasn't been done. Place the duration phrase right after the subject, negate the verb with 没, and finish the sentence with 了 to emphasize that the non-action still holds. A common mistake is forgetting the sentence-final 了, which makes the statement sound incomplete.
Structure
Subj. + (已经 +) Duration + 没 + Verb + 了
已经 (already) is optional and adds emphasis.
Examples
- 他们已经两天没吃东西了。Tā men yǐ jīng liǎng tiān méi chī dōng xī le.They haven't eating anything for two days already.
- 你多长时间没刮胡子了？Nǐ duō cháng shí jiān méi guā hú zi le?How long has it been since you last shaved?
- 她半个月没出门了。Tā bàn gè yuè méi chū mén le.It's been half a month since she's left the house.
- 你们多久没回家了？Nǐ men duō jiǔ méi huí jiā le?How long has it been since you returned home?
- 我已经十年没来中国了。Wǒ yǐ jīng shí nián méi lái zhōng guó le.It's been 10 years since I came to China last.