Complement of Duration (2): Duration with Non-Durative Verbs
In Chinese the 时量补语 (shíliàng bǔyǔ) follows a verb and shows how long an action or state lasted.
Some verbs, though, do not denote a lasting action. After those, the amount of time shows how long it has been since the action finished.
Core Rule
Verb + length of time
how long the action lasted
or, with verbs that do not last:
how long it has been since the action finished
Examples
我上次来医院已经过去差不多两年了
Structure
上次来医院 + 已经过去 + 差不多两年 + 了
last time coming to the hospital + has passed + almost two years + 了
上次 — last time
来医院 — to come to the hospital
已经过去 — has already passed
差不多两年 — almost two years
了 — marks the change of situation
她回家两个月了
Structure
回家 + 两个月 + 了
go home + two months + 了
回家 — to go home
两个月 — two months
了 — marks that this much time has passed since
Here the action 回家 is over, and 两个月 shows how long it has been since she went home.
开学已经三个多星期了
Structure
开学 + 已经 + 三个多星期 + 了
term starting + already + over three weeks + 了
开学 — term starts
已经 — already
三个多星期 — over three weeks
了 — marks that this time has passed
Quick Rule
If the verb denotes a lasting action:
Verb + length of time
It shows how long the action lasted.
If the verb denotes a one-off action that is over:
Verb + length of time + 了
It shows how long it has been since the action finished.
Examples:
回家两个月了
开学已经三个多星期了