学了三年 vs 学了三年了: what is the difference?
学了三年 says it lasted three years, and may be finished. 学了三年了 says three years so far and still going.
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 学了三年 | xué le sān nián | The pattern Verb + 了 + length of time says the action lasted that long, and it may be over. | Subject + Verb + 了 + length of time (construction) |
| 学了三年了 | xué le sān nián le | The pattern Verb + 了 + length of time + 了 says it has lasted that long so far and is still going. | Subject + Verb + 了 + length of time + 了 (construction) |
学了三年 (xué le sān nián)
The pattern Verb + 了 + length of time says the action lasted that long, and it may be over.
Structure: Subject + Verb + 了 + length of time (construction)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他在这家公司工作了五年，去年辞职了。 | Tā zài zhè jiā gōng sī gōng zuò le wǔ nián, qù nián cí zhí le. | He worked at this company for five years and quit last year. |
| 我昨天看了两个小时电视。 | Wǒ zuó tiān kàn le liǎng gè xiǎo shí diàn shì. | I watched TV for two hours yesterday. |
| 她学了三年法语，后来不学了。 | Tā xué le sān nián fǎ yǔ, hòu lái bù xué le. | She studied French for three years and then stopped. |
Not: 我学了汉语三年。 The length of time goes straight after 了 and before the object: 我学了三年汉语。
学了三年了 (xué le sān nián le)
The pattern Verb + 了 + length of time + 了 says it has lasted that long so far and is still going.
Structure: Subject + Verb + 了 + length of time + 了 (construction)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他在这儿工作了五年了。 | Tā zài zhèr gōng zuò le wǔ nián le. | He has worked here for five years now. |
| 我们等了半个小时了。 | Wǒ men děng le bàn gè xiǎo shí le. | We have been waiting for half an hour. |
| 她学了两年钢琴了。 | Tā xué le liǎng nián gāng qín le. | She has been learning the piano for two years. |
Not: 我学了三年了，现在不学了。 A final 了 means it is still going. If it stopped, drop it: 我学了三年，现在不学了。
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of Duration complement: V+了+time (HSK 4) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 按照 vs 根据 · 不敢 vs 不能 · 及时 vs 立刻 · 记住 vs 记得 · 渐渐 vs 逐渐 · 将近 vs 大约 · 竟然 vs 居然 · 既然 vs 因为 · 看不懂 vs 没看懂 · 了 vs 过 · 连…都 vs 连…也 · 没有 vs 不如 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 学了三年 and 学了三年了?
学了三年 says it lasted three years, and may be finished. 学了三年了 says three years so far and still going.
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