How to say “have been doing” in Chinese with double 了
Verb + 了 (le) + Duration + 了 (le)
了 (le) — ongoing duration with double 了 (le)
Verb + 了 (le) + Duration + 了 (le)
HSK 3Verb phrases了 (le) — ongoing duration with double 了 (le)
Rule structure
The structure Verb + 了 (le) + duration + 了 (le) shows that an action started in the past, has lasted for the stated duration, and is still continuing now. The first 了 (le) follows the verb; the final 了 (le) marks the current relevance of the situation.
Rule structure
The structure Verb + 了 (le) + duration + 了 (le) shows that an action started in the past, has lasted for the stated duration, and is still continuing now. The first 了 (le) follows the verb; the final 了 (le) marks the current relevance of the situation.
Examples
我学中文学了三年了。
Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le sān nián le.
I have been learning Chinese for three years.
Examples
我学中文学了三年了。
Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le sān nián le.
I have been learning Chinese for three years.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say “ongoing duration with double 了” in Chinese with 了?
Use the structure: Verb + 了 (le) + Duration + 了 (le). For example: 我学中文学了三年了。 — “I have been learning Chinese for three years.”.
What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?
我学中文学了三年了。 — “I have been learning Chinese for three years.”.
Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?
This grammar rule is part of HSK 3.
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More HSK 3 grammar rules
了 — ongoing duration
Verb + 了 (le) + Duration + 了 (le)
难 — hard to do
难 (nán) + Verb
很 — very with verbs
很 (hěn) + Verb
没办法 — can't help, no way
没办法 (méi bànfǎ) + Verb
一边 — doing two things at once
一边 (yìbiān) + Verb 1, 一边 (yìbiān) + Verb 2
如果…就 — if… then…
如果 (rúguǒ)……，就 (jiù)……
万 — big numbers
Number + 万 (wàn) / 亿 (yì)
地 — turning adjectives into adverbs
Adj. + 地 (de) + Verb