Duration Complement
时量补语
A duration complement tells how long an action lasts. It is placed after the verb, and when the verb has an object, the verb is often repeated or the duration goes between the verb and object.
Pattern
Subject + Verb + 了 + Duration (+ Object)
Explanation
Duration complements express how long an action continues. The duration phrase (e.g., 两个小时, 三年, 十分钟) is placed after the verb. When the verb has no object, the pattern is simple: "Subject + Verb + Duration." For example, "我等了两个小时" (wǒ děng le liǎng ge xiǎoshí) — "I waited for two hours."
When the verb has an object, things get a bit more complex. You have three options. First, you can repeat the verb: "我学中文学了两年" (I've studied Chinese for two years). Second, you can place the object before the verb using a topic structure: "中文我学了两年." Third — and this is very common — you can place the duration between the verb and the object: "我学了两年中文."
For ongoing durations (actions still happening), use 了 after the verb to indicate "up to now": "我学了三年中文了" — "I've been studying Chinese for three years (and still am)." The double 了 (one after the verb and one at the end) signals that the action started in the past and continues to the present.
To ask "how long," use 多长时间 (duō cháng shíjiān) or 多久 (duō jiǔ): "你学了多长时间中文？" — "How long have you studied Chinese?"
Examples
我等了二十分钟。
Wǒ děng le èrshí fēnzhōng.
I waited for twenty minutes.
她睡了八个小时。
Tā shuì le bā ge xiǎoshí.
She slept for eight hours.
我学了两年中文。
Wǒ xué le liǎng nián Zhōngwén.
I studied Chinese for two years.
他在北京住了三个月。
Tā zài Běijīng zhù le sān ge yuè.
He lived in Beijing for three months.
我们走了一个小时了。
Wǒmen zǒu le yí ge xiǎoshí le.
We've been walking for an hour (and still are).
Double 了 indicates the action is ongoing
Common Mistakes
Wrong
我学中文两年。
Correct
我学了两年中文。
You need 了 after the verb to indicate the duration has been completed or is ongoing. Without 了, the sentence is incomplete.
Wrong
我两年学了中文。
Correct
我学了两年中文。
The duration goes after the verb, not before it. Chinese word order places the duration as a complement after the verb.
Wrong
我学了中文两年。
Correct
我学了两年中文。
When using verb + duration + object, the duration comes before the object, not after.
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