UNIT FIFTEEN Verbs and aspect markers
A Although as indicated in Unit 14 Chinese verbs do not express tense they are often linked with an aspect marker which may indicate the completion, experience, continuation, etc. of an action. With the exception of zài (see below) aspect markers are placed directly after the verb. The most common aspect markers are:
D
le guo zài zhe qhlái xiàqù xiàlái
completed action past experience an action in progress a continuous state resulting from an action/an accompanying action an action/a state which has just started an action which is to be continued an action/a state which is gradually changing into non-action or a quieter state
B le indicates that the action of the verb has been completed. It therefore often occurs in narrative sentences, where the marking of an action as being completed becomes important. However, a verb with le is naturally followed by a noun which is the subject/initiator’s premeditated goal, that is, something which the subject/initiator sets out to do. This means that all nouns that occur after le on their own are bound to be of definite reference unless they are specified as indefinite. For example, (i) nouns that occur after
le on their own:
* . . . wi xig le xìn I wrote the letter . . . 154
. . . ta mfi le pínggui He bought the apples . . .