The duration complement (1)
A word or phrase of time follows the verb and states how long the action or state lasted.
Basic structure
Subject + verb + duration
How long the action went on.
Examples
走半个多小时就到了
走zǒuwalk
半个多小时bàn ge duō xiǎoshía little over half an hour
就到了jiù dào leand you're there
他们学了两年
他们tāmenthey
学了xué lestudied
两年liǎng niántwo years
我们休息十分钟
我们wǒmenwe
休息xiūxirest
十分钟shí fēnzhōngten minutes
When the verb also has an object
If the verb takes an object, the object can sit in either of two places.
1. If the object is a thing, it usually follows the duration.
Verb + duration + object
我看了一个晚上电视
看了kàn lewatched
一个晚上yí ge wǎnshangone evening
电视diànshìtelevision
2. If the object is a person or a pronoun, it usually precedes the duration.
Verb + object + duration
李文等了她一个小时
李文Lǐ WénLi Wen
等了děng lewaited
她tāher
一个小时yí ge xiǎoshían hour
我找了陈天中二十多分钟
找了 + 陈天中 + 二十多分钟
looked for + Chen Tianzhong + over twenty minutes
Repeating the verb
When the verb has an object, the verb may be repeated with the duration after the repeat.
Verb + object + verb + duration
他们学中文学了两年
学中文 + 学了两年
study Chinese + studied for two years
李文等她等了一个小时
等她 + 等了一个小时
wait for her + waited an hour
With separable verbs
If the verb is a 离合词 (separable verb), its first half is repeated when the duration is added.
安妮游泳游了一个下午
游泳 + 游了一个下午
swim + swam for an afternoon
陈天中跑步跑了两个小时
跑步 + 跑了两个小时
run + ran for two hours
“了……了” — when the action is still going on
When 了 appears both after the verb and at the end of the sentence, the action is still going on.
Verb + 了 + duration + ... + 了
Meaning: has been doing … for …
他写了半个小时汉字了
写了 + 半个小时 + 汉字 + 了
wrote + half an hour + characters + 了
the action began earlier;
and is still going on.
陈天中跑步跑了两个小时了
跑步 + 跑了两个小时 + 了
run + ran for two hours + 了
Here too the running is still going on.
Quick rule
Plain duration: verb + duration
Object is a thing: verb + duration + object
Object is a person or pronoun: verb + object + duration
With the verb repeated: verb + object + verb + duration
Still going on: verb + 了 + duration + ... + 了
has been doing … for …