<p>I think whatever you put 了 after verb or at the end of of sentence. they both means the action is finished or completed. It is past tense. So, 我吃了巧克力 and 我吃巧克力了 just means I ate chocolate. </p>

<p>But there is a slight difference between them . 我吃了巧克力 means to emphasize the verb <code>ate</code>.
我吃巧克力了 means to emphasize <code>ate chocolate</code>. Hope it helpful. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T04:09:39.717Z
I think it somehow depends on the verb, like you can say 我下楼了 with both senses. And 我下了楼 emphasize the existence of a series of verbs.
Joseph S WU
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T06:45:25.797Z
Chinese doesn't have tense and telling people that 了 denotes past tense is really, really bad, because it effectively hinders them from learning how to actually use 了. See Question Overflow's answer above.
Olle Linge
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T07:55:59.030Z
@OlleLinge  Don't agree with you. Here is an example in French using past tense (passé composé) to indicate an action that has not happened but ensured by being regarded as finished by the speaker: *Un peu de patience: j'ai fini dans un moment.* (A little patience pls, I (would) have finished in a moment.)
Joseph S WU
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-08T23:20:53.900Z
Olle is right. Chinese does not have a tense, and to tell learners otherwise is very misleading. Just take this as an example:
豬逃了怎麼辦？
It could mean "The pig has escaped; what should we do?" or "What should we do if the pig escapes?" Saying that 了 just indicates past tense is plain wrong.
user43898
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-25T15:37:57.670Z
I think that considering 了 a tense-aspect property (not just a tense) is justified.
MrVocabulary
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T03:38:45.647Z
2014-04-01T03:45:19.840Z
2014-04-01T03:45:19.840Z
Joe.wang
<p>Please remember the grammar of 了1 and 了2。obviously, its quite different. you have to 
learn how to distinguish that words.
了1 always been put end of verb 
is equal to the perfective aspect. (simplepast or present )
了2 put end of the sentence is equal to perfect aspect. ( perfect tense) is always indicate the effects of condition are related with present time. 
我在看他的展览了。
我在看他的展览。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-16T03:47:45.453Z
2019-10-16T03:47:45.453Z
王大侠
<p>The order where 了 appears in the sentence is important: when placed at the end of a sentence, it represents a <em>change of state</em> (it has nothing to do with tenses); when placed at the end of a verb, it represents a <em>completed action</em>. Using the examples in your question:</p>

<ul>
<li>他们给我写信<b>了</b><br> They wrote me a letter. (This is the first time I receive
a letter from them.)</li>
<li>他们给我写<b>了</b>信<br> They have written me a letter. (This is the fifth letter
from them.)</li>
<li>她给我们买巧克力<b>了</b><br> She bought us chocolate. (It has been a long while since she last treated us.)</li>
<li>她给我们买<b>了</b>巧克力<br> She just bought us chocolate. (Oh, she bought some yesterday too.)</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T06:18:39.957Z
+1 for that fantastic link, thanks!
Ming
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T19:28:20.847Z
Wow, that article is fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
Kevin Thompson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-16T04:21:57.767Z
The link seems to no longer work (so I deleted the link; it redirects).  Perhaps the [Chinese Grammar Wiki](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%BA%86) would be useful.
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2014-04-01T06:06:45.363Z
2019-10-16T04:17:10.237Z
2019-10-16T04:17:10.237Z
杨以轩
<p>Obviously this question is very similar to <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/368/when-should-%E4%BA%86-be-after-the-verb-and-when-should-it-be-at-the-end-of-the-sentence">When should 了 be after the verb and when should it be at the end of the sentence?</a>. I just wanted you to know that I consulted that before I posted this question.</p>

<p>I'm working through Rosetta Stone and I have a screenshot that illustrates what I'm struggling with.
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/4PuWe.jpg" alt="screen shot from Rosetta Stone chinese"></p>

<p>So here we have two instances where le is appearing at the end of the sentence and one where it appears immediately after the verb. However, all three sentences involve someone giving an item to someone else so I would think they would all follow the same grammar rules. Here is another example:
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/vYdVj.png" alt="Woman that ate chocolate">
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/bShYt.png" alt="People that ate"></p>

<p>In both pictures someone finished eating something so I would think they would follow the same grammar. So why does le appear after the verb in one picture but at the end of the sentence in the other?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-31T22:04:31.923Z
他们吃了饭 means that they have had a meal, while 他们吃饭了 means that they have started eating.
user58955
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-31T22:07:51.760Z
Putting 了 at the end seems to convey a meaning that they didn't do the action in the past but now they are doing it or they have done it. Putting 了 directly after the verb only has the meaning that the action has been done.
user58955
<past-tense>
Still confused about putting 了 at the end of a sentence or right after the verb
# Still confused about putting 了 at the end of a sentence or right after the verb

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-31)

Obviously this question is very similar to [When should 了 be after the verb and when should it be at the end of the sentence?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/368/when-should-%E4%BA%86-be-after-the-verb-and-when-should-it-be-at-the-end-of-the-sentence). I just wanted you to know that I consulted that before I posted this question.

I'm working through Rosetta Stone and I have a screenshot that illustrates what I'm struggling with.
![screen shot from Rosetta Stone chinese](https://i.sstatic.net/4PuWe.jpg)

So here we have two instances where le is appearing at the end of the sentence and one where it appears immediately after the verb. However, all three sentences involve someone giving an item to someone else so I would think they would all follow the same grammar rules. Here is another example:
![Woman that ate chocolate](https://i.sstatic.net/vYdVj.png)
![People that ate](https://i.sstatic.net/bShYt.png)

In both pictures someone finished eating something so I would think they would follow the same grammar. So why does le appear after the verb in one picture but at the end of the sentence in the other?

**Tags:** past-tense

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 他们吃了饭 means that they have had a meal, while 他们吃饭了 means that they have started eating.  
> **username_1**: Putting 了 at the end seems to convey a meaning that they didn't do the action in the past but now they are doing it or they have done it. Putting 了 directly after the verb only has the meaning that the action has been done.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_8 on 2014-04-01. Score: 13 | Accepted answer

The order where 了 appears in the sentence is important: when placed at the end of a sentence, it represents a *change of state* (it has nothing to do with tenses); when placed at the end of a verb, it represents a *completed action*. Using the examples in your question:

* 他们给我写信**了**  
   They wrote me a letter. (This is the first time I receive
  a letter from them.)
* 他们给我写**了**信  
   They have written me a letter. (This is the fifth letter
  from them.)
* 她给我们买巧克力**了**  
   She bought us chocolate. (It has been a long while since she last treated us.)
* 她给我们买**了**巧克力  
   She just bought us chocolate. (Oh, she bought some yesterday too.)

> **Comments:**
> **username_9**: +1 for that fantastic link, thanks!  
> **username_0**: Wow, that article is fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing that with us.  
> **username_10**: The link seems to no longer work (so I deleted the link; it redirects).  Perhaps the [Chinese Grammar Wiki](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%BA%86) would be useful.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-04-01. Score: 2

I think whatever you put 了 after verb or at the end of of sentence. they both means the action is finished or completed. It is past tense. So, 我吃了巧克力 and 我吃巧克力了 just means I ate chocolate.

But there is a slight difference between them . 我吃了巧克力 means to emphasize the verb `ate`.
我吃巧克力了 means to emphasize `ate chocolate`. Hope it helpful.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I think it somehow depends on the verb, like you can say 我下楼了 with both senses. And 我下了楼 emphasize the existence of a series of verbs.  
> **username_4**: Chinese doesn't have tense and telling people that 了 denotes past tense is really, really bad, because it effectively hinders them from learning how to actually use 了. See Question Overflow's answer above.  
> **username_3**: @OlleLinge  Don't agree with you. Here is an example in French using past tense (passé composé) to indicate an action that has not happened but ensured by being regarded as finished by the speaker: *Un peu de patience: j'ai fini dans un moment.* (A little patience pls, I (would) have finished in a moment.)  
> **username_5**: Olle is right. Chinese does not have a tense, and to tell learners otherwise is very misleading. Just take this as an example: 豬逃了怎麼辦？ It could mean "The pig has escaped; what should we do?" or "What should we do if the pig escapes?" Saying that 了 just indicates past tense is plain wrong.  
> **username_6**: I think that considering 了 a tense-aspect property (not just a tense) is justified.  

---

### Answer by username_7 on 2019-10-16. Score: 0

Please remember the grammar of 了1 and 了2。obviously, its quite different. you have to
learn how to distinguish that words.
了1 always been put end of verb
is equal to the perfective aspect. (simplepast or present )
了2 put end of the sentence is equal to perfect aspect. ( perfect tense) is always indicate the effects of condition are related with present time.
我在看他的展览了。
我在看他的展览。


---

