talkiNG aBoUt the PreSeNt
34.7
34.5 Indicating present time by context
Time expressions are optional when the context makes it clear that the sentence refers to
a present time situation. For example, in the following conversation, 现在/現在 xiànzài ‘now’
can be included, but it is not necessary, because the question and response clearly refer to the
present time.
妈妈：你(现在)做什么功课？ 孩子：我(现在)做数学。
媽媽：你(現在)做甚麼功課？ 孩子：我(現在)做數學。
Māma: Nǐ (xiànzài) zuò shénme gōngkè? Háizi: Wǒ (xiànzài) zuò shùxué.
Mom: What homework are you doing (now)? Child: I am doing math (now).
34.6 Negation in present time situations
Present time situations are negated with 不 bù, with one exception: the verb 有 yǒu is always
negated with 没 méi.
他今天不来上课。 我没有钱。
他今天不來上課。 我沒有錢。
Tā jīntiān bù lái shàng kè. Wǒ méi yǒu qián.
He is not coming to class today. I don’t have money.
C11.6, 27.1
Action verbs may be negated with 没/沒 méi or 没有/沒有 méi yǒu, but when so negated,
they do not refer to present time. Instead, they indicate that the action did not happen in
the past.
你为什么没来上课？
你為甚麼沒來上課？
Nǐ wèi shénme méi lái shàng kè?
Why didn’t you come to class?
C13.3, 17.1, 37.3
34.7 talking about actions that begin in the past and
continue to the present
To indicate that an action began in the past and continues to the present, end the sentence with
sentence final 了 le. If the verb is followed by an object or a duration expression, the sentence
will have two instances of 了 le, one following the verb, and the other at the end of the sentence.
Sentences like these are sometimes described as having ‘double 了 le.’ Sentence final 了 le is
sometimes described as indicating the ‘present relevance’ of the situation.
C38.1.3
我看了两本书了。
我看了兩本書了。
Wǒ kàn le liǎng běn shū le.
I’ve read two books (so far).
他在美国住了十年了。
他在美國住了十年了。
Tā zài Měiguó zhù le shínián le.
He has lived in America for ten years (and is still there).
