Duration Complements (V + 了 + Duration)

Pattern

• Subject + Verb + (了) + Duration + (的) + Object
• Subject + Verb + Object + Verb + (了) + Duration + (了)

Usage

• Duration complements (时量补语) indicate how long an action lasts and must be placed AFTER the verb (unlike points in time, which go before the verb).
• When the verb takes an object, there are three main patterns: (1) S + V + (了) + Duration + (的) + Noun Object (e.g., 我学了三年的汉语); (2) Verb repetition: S + V + O + V + (了) + Duration (e.g., 我学汉语学了三年); (3) When the object is a personal pronoun, place the pronoun immediately after the verb and before the duration without repeating the verb (e.g., 我等了你半个小时).
• Adding a second 了 at the end of the sentence (V + 了 + Duration + 了) indicates that the action is still continuing up to the present (e.g., 他在中国住了五年了).

Examples

1. 1

   我每天学习汉语两个小时。

   Wǒ měitiān xuéxí Hànyǔ liǎng gè xiǎoshí.

   Every day I study Chinese for two hours.

2. 2

   他在中国住了五年了。

   Tā zài Zhōngguó zhù le wǔ nián le.

   He has been living in China for five years now.

3. 3

   我学汉语学了三年。

   Wǒ xué Hànyǔ xué le sān nián.

   I studied Chinese for three years.

4. 4

   我等了你半个小时。