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

Meaning: how long the action went on.

Examples

走(Zǒu)半(bàn)个(ge)多(duō)小(xiǎo)时(shí)就(jiù)到(dào)了(le)。

Just over half an hour's walk and you're there.

走 + 半个多小时 walk + a little over half an hour

走(zǒu)walk

半(bàn)个(ge)多(duō)小(xiǎo)时(shí)a little over half an hour

就(jiù)到(dào)了(le)and you're there

他(Tā)们(men)学(xué)了(le)两(liǎng)年(nián)。

They studied for two years.

学 + 了 + 两年 study + 了 + two years

他(tā)们(men)they

学(xué)了(le)studied

两(liǎng)年(nián)two years

我(Wǒ)们(men)休(xiū)息(xi)十(shí)分(fēn)钟(zhōng)。

We'll rest for ten minutes.

休息 + 十分钟 rest + ten minutes

我(wǒ)们(men)we

休(xiū)息(xi)rest

十(shí)分(fēn)钟(zhōng)ten 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(Wǒ)看(kàn)了(le)一(yí)个(ge)晚(wǎn)上(shang)电(diàn)视(shì)。

I watched television all evening.

看了 + 一个晚上 + 电视 watched + one evening + television

看(kàn)了(le)watched

一(yí)个(ge)晚(wǎn)上(shang)one evening

电(diàn)视(shì)television

2. If the object is a person or a pronoun, it usually precedes the duration.

Verb + object + duration

李(Lǐ)文(Wén)等(děng)了(le)她(tā)一(yí)个(ge)小(xiǎo)时(shí)。

Li Wen waited an hour for her.

等了 + 她 + 一个小时 waited + for her + an hour

李(Lǐ)文(Wén)Li Wen

等(děng)了(le)waited

她(tā)her

一(yí)个(ge)小(xiǎo)时(shí)an hour

我(Wǒ)找(zhǎo)了(le)陈(Chén)天(Tiān)中(zhōng)二(èr)十(shí)多(duō)分(fēn)钟(zhōng)。

I looked for Chen Tianzhong for over twenty minutes.

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(Tā)们(men)学(xué)中(Zhōng)文(wén)学(xué)了(le)两(liǎng)年(nián)。

They studied Chinese for two years.

学中文 + 学了两年 study Chinese + studied for two years

李(Lǐ)文(Wén)等(děng)她(tā)等(děng)了(le)一(yí)个(ge)小(xiǎo)时(shí)。

Li Wen waited a whole hour for her.

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(Ān)妮(nī)游(yóu)泳(yǒng)游(yóu)了(le)一(yí)个(ge)下(xià)午(wǔ)。

Annie swam for a whole afternoon.

游泳 + 游了一个下午 swim + swam for an afternoon

陈(Chén)天(Tiān)中(zhōng)跑(pǎo)步(bù)跑(pǎo)了(le)两(liǎng)个(ge)小(xiǎo)时(shí)。

Chen Tianzhong ran for two hours.

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(Tā)写(xiě)了(le)半(bàn)个(ge)小(xiǎo)时(shí)汉(Hàn)字(zì)了(le)。

He has been writing characters for half an hour.

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(Chén)天(Tiān)中(zhōng)跑(pǎo)步(bù)跑(pǎo)了(le)两(liǎng)个(ge)小(xiǎo)时(shí)了(le)。

Chen Tianzhong has been running for two hours.

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 …