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Sentence-final 了 (change of state)
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It's started raining
- You were about to go out, but you look out of the window and see rain.
- to rain下雨(completed / change)了！ — "It's raining (now)!" The final (completed / change)了 says the situation has changed.
Sentence + (completed / change)了 = something has changed
- (completed / change)了 at the end of a sentence announces a new situation: it's cold (weather)天冷(completed / change)了 (it has turned cold), I我to be hungry饿(completed / change)了 (I'm hungry now).
- It is not a past tense; it marks a change from before.
the weather天cold冷了。
The light turns green: “It's green now, let's go.” 绿灯____，走吧。
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Final 了 announces the change.
New facts, new plans, new ages
- I我二十岁(completed / change)了。 — "I'm twenty now." he他not不come来(completed / change)了。 — "He's not coming any more."
- With rapid快 or want / will / need要: 快到(completed / change)了。 — "We're almost there."
he他not不come来了。
Build: “We're almost there.”
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快 + verb + 了 = about to.
Not just "past"
- A past habit with no change takes no (completed / change)了: I我before以前often常常to go去, not I我before以前often常常to go去(completed / change)了.
- not不…(completed / change)了 = no longer: I我not不喝咖啡(completed / change)了 means "I've stopped drinking coffee", not "I didn't drink coffee".
What does 我不抽烟了 mean?
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不…了 = no longer.
我以前常常去了 is correct for a past habit.
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A past habit with no change takes no 了.
Final (completed / change)了 versus verb (completed / change)了
- Verb + (completed / change)了 marks a completed action: I我eat吃(completed / change)了an一个apple苹果 — "I ate an apple."
- Final (completed / change)了 marks a change: I我not不to be hungry饿(completed / change)了 — "I'm not hungry any more." Some sentences have both.
I我eat吃了an一个apple苹果。
Recap
- Sentence-final (completed / change)了 = a new situation, a change: to rain下雨(completed / change)了, I我to be hungry饿(completed / change)了, he他not不come来(completed / change)了.
- not不…(completed / change)了 = no longer; rapid快…(completed / change)了 = soon. It is not a simple past tense.
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Particles.
You were about to go out, but you look out of the window and see rain. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.