LEARN + CHINESE / 95 of 300 HSK 3
Three Years Since Graduation 三年了
Your friend asks when you graduated. You can answer with the year, or tell them how long ago it was: “I graduated three years ago.” In Chinese, put the time interval after the event, then add 了 to show that this much time has now passed.
我毕业三年了。
wǒ bìyè sān nián le.
I graduated three years ago.
The same pattern works with other changes or events. The event itself comes first; the interval tells us how long it has been since then.
他搬来这里两个月了。
tā bān lái zhèlǐ liǎng ge yuè le.
He moved here two months ago.
我们认识十年了。
wǒmen rènshi shí nián le.
We’ve known each other for ten years.
这家店开了半年了。
zhè jiā diàn kāi le bàn nián le.
This shop has been open for half a year.
Hint · 힌트
This pattern looks back from now to an earlier event. For an action that has continued for a length of time, put the duration after the verb instead: 我在这里住了三年 (“I lived here for three years”).
Vocabulary
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
bìyè | to graduate |
bān | to move; relocate |
rènshi | to know; meet |
kāi | to open; be open |
nián | year |
yuè | month |
tiān | day |
xiǎoshí | hour |
yǐqián | before; ago |
yǐhòu | after; later |
xiànzài | now |
yǐjīng | already |
hái | still; yet |
duōjiǔ | how long |
shíjiān | time |
gāng | just; a moment ago |
kāishǐ | to begin |
jiéshù | to end |
diàn | shop; store |
bàn nián | half a year |
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