Complement of Duration (2): Duration with Non-Durative Verbs
Verb + Duration of Time
The 时量补语 (shíliàng bǔyǔ) is placed after a verb to indicate how long an action or state lasts.
In this lesson, we focus especially on verbs that do not normally describe an ongoing action, such as coming, returning, or starting school.
With these verbs, the duration complement indicates how much time has passed since the action or event happened.
Basic Meaning
Verb + Duration + 了
→ indicates how long it has been since the action or event happened.
1. Duration of an Action or State
When a verb can describe an action that continues for a period of time, the duration complement tells us how long the action lasts.
学习两个小时study for two hours
工作三年work for three years
2. With Non-Durative Verbs
Some verbs describe actions or events that do not normally continue for a long period of time, for example:
来to come
回家to return home
开学to start school
When a duration complement follows these verbs, it tells us how much time has passed since the action or event occurred.
Example
她回家两个月了。
She has been home for two months. (Literally: It has been two months since she returned home.)
Here:
回家 → return home
两个月了 → it has been two months
In other words, she returned home two months ago.
Examples
我上次来医院已经过去差不多两年了。
The last time I was at the hospital was almost two years ago.
上次来医院 → last came to the hospital
差不多两年了 → it has been almost two years
开学已经三个多星期了。
It has been more than three weeks since school started.
开学 → school started
三个多星期了 → it has been more than three weeks
Remember
When the action can continue:
Verb + Duration
→ tells us how long the action lasts.
When the verb describes a completed or non-durative event:
Verb + Duration + 了
→ tells us how long it has been since the event happened.
A Useful English Translation
It has been + duration + since + action
For example:
她回家两个月了。It has been two months since she returned home.
开学已经三个多星期了。It has been more than three weeks since the school term started.