<p>我去抽烟 is the standard way to express "I am going to have a cigarette". You don't need a "了" at all. Adding a "了" emphasizes the fact that you are about to do it RIGHT NOW. Sometimes, it implies that you are asking for others' opinions. For example, “如果没什么事，我去抽烟了.” （If you don't have anything else for me, I am going to have a cigarette now(outside).)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-03T02:31:45.967Z
And I don't agree with people who claimed adding a “了” makes it more casual. Adding unnecessary model, such as “了”，will make people feel you are uncertain about what you are going to do.
user16587
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-03T02:24:17.953Z
2017-03-03T02:42:29.613Z
2017-03-03T02:42:29.613Z
user16587
<p>通常中文的"了" 等於英文的過去式</p>

<pre><code>A:你要去哪裡? B:我去抽烟
A:你剛剛去哪裡? B:我去抽烟了
</code></pre>

<p>現實使用時 "了"也被拿來當語氣</p>

<p>兩者只有一點點語氣上的差別 (just a little difference)</p>

<p>比較類似個人講話方式或語癖上的差異</p>

<pre><code>C:好煩 我去抽菸
C:好煩 我去抽菸了
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-03T02:23:50.970Z
2017-03-03T02:23:50.970Z
wotupset
<p>Actually, they mean exactly the same. "我去抽烟了" is just more casual and that's what we will say in real life. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-21T06:19:08.737Z
"going to" seems to mean near future, whereas 去 implies some movement, and commonly follows an adverbial like 到户外去， or is followed by an object e。g。 我去逛街了， 我去找老师商量这事，我去上班，in the case of smoking 厕所 might be a possible object：我去厕所抽烟
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-21T05:32:59.753Z
2017-02-21T05:32:59.753Z
Jason
<p>Adding unnecessary model, such as “了” does make it more casual.
for example，
了 means everything will be end soon。
both in tense and modal
so if it function as modal word ，it means you have solved almost every problem asked by others and you can do something to relax yourself
like     to  have a cig。。。了
or    to play game  了</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-08T09:52:48.850Z
so 了 is a magical word to relax our mood in chinese ，same with the english phrase take it easy
Yu Yusen
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-08T09:48:27.780Z
2017-04-08T09:48:27.780Z
Yu Yusen
<p>If you'd use these sentences to tell people what you are going to do right now, I do not think there is any noteworthy difference between them. </p>

<p>But if you'd use them to respond to someone who asks you what you're going to do, you should use the first one (without 了).</p>

<p>Also, as other answers say, you can use the second sentence to describe what you were doing just now.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-03T01:48:23.523Z
2017-03-03T01:53:38.283Z
2017-03-03T01:53:38.283Z
pjhades
<p>了 is signifies the "perfective aspect". Note that there's no tense in Chinese language, but aspect. Perfective aspect in this context means a finished action. (Alternatively, experiential aspect also expresses similar meaning, but they're slightly different)</p>

<p>So 我去抽烟了 emphasised that you've smoked. While 我去抽烟 means you're going to smoke with no aspect. (The four aspects of Modern Mandarin Chinese are perfective, imperfective (durative stative and durative progressive), and experiential.)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-02T21:00:05.360Z
2017-03-02T21:00:05.360Z
Lucius Hu
<p>If you are trying to say "I'm going to smoke."</p>

<pre><code>我去抽烟  I'm going to smoke
我去抽根烟 I'm going to have a cig
我出去抽根烟 I'm going to have a cig outside.
</code></pre>

<p>我去抽烟了 could be said when someone ask you </p>

<pre><code>"Where were you?" or "What did you do?" or "Where did you go?"
</code></pre>

<p>And it means</p>

<pre><code>I was having a cig/ I was smoking.
</code></pre>

<p>"了" could imply a finished action when you put it at the end of a sentence.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-01T16:34:57.897Z
2017-03-01T16:34:57.897Z
Daveedo
<p>If I say "I'm going to smoke" I would say "我去抽烟", right? Or would I say "我去抽烟了"? </p>

<p>In this case, 了 represents a change, so I suppose 我去抽烟了 makes sense. Any difference in nuance between the two? </p>

<grammar><particles>
Should I use modal (语气) "了" in: 我去抽烟 vs. 我去抽烟了?
# Should I use modal (语气) "了" in: 我去抽烟 vs. 我去抽烟了?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-02-21)

If I say "I'm going to smoke" I would say "我去抽烟", right? Or would I say "我去抽烟了"?

In this case, 了 represents a change, so I suppose 我去抽烟了 makes sense. Any difference in nuance between the two?

**Tags:** grammar, particles


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## 7 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-03-03. Score: 1

我去抽烟 is the standard way to express "I am going to have a cigarette". You don't need a "了" at all. Adding a "了" emphasizes the fact that you are about to do it RIGHT NOW. Sometimes, it implies that you are asking for others' opinions. For example, “如果没什么事，我去抽烟了.” （If you don't have anything else for me, I am going to have a cigarette now(outside).)

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: And I don't agree with people who claimed adding a “了” makes it more casual. Adding unnecessary model, such as “了”，will make people feel you are uncertain about what you are going to do.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-03-03. Score: 0

通常中文的"了" 等於英文的過去式
A:你要去哪裡? B:我去抽烟
A:你剛剛去哪裡? B:我去抽烟了

現實使用時 "了"也被拿來當語氣
兩者只有一點點語氣上的差別 (just a little difference)
比較類似個人講話方式或語癖上的差異
C:好煩 我去抽菸
C:好煩 我去抽菸了


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-02-21. Score: 0

Actually, they mean exactly the same. "我去抽烟了" is just more casual and that's what we will say in real life.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: "going to" seems to mean near future, whereas 去 implies some movement, and commonly follows an adverbial like 到户外去， or is followed by an object e。g。 我去逛街了， 我去找老师商量这事，我去上班，in the case of smoking 厕所 might be a possible object：我去厕所抽烟  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2017-04-08. Score: 0

Adding unnecessary model, such as “了” does make it more casual.
for example，
了 means everything will be end soon。
both in tense and modal
so if it function as modal word ，it means you have solved almost every problem asked by others and you can do something to relax yourself
like to have a cig。。。了
or to play game 了

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: so 了 is a magical word to relax our mood in chinese ，same with the english phrase take it easy  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2017-03-03. Score: 0

If you'd use these sentences to tell people what you are going to do right now, I do not think there is any noteworthy difference between them.

But if you'd use them to respond to someone who asks you what you're going to do, you should use the first one (without 了).

Also, as other answers say, you can use the second sentence to describe what you were doing just now.


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### Answer by username_7 on 2017-03-02. Score: 0

了 is signifies the "perfective aspect". Note that there's no tense in Chinese language, but aspect. Perfective aspect in this context means a finished action. (Alternatively, experiential aspect also expresses similar meaning, but they're slightly different)

So 我去抽烟了 emphasised that you've smoked. While 我去抽烟 means you're going to smoke with no aspect. (The four aspects of Modern Mandarin Chinese are perfective, imperfective (durative stative and durative progressive), and experiential.)


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### Answer by username_8 on 2017-03-01. Score: 0

If you are trying to say "I'm going to smoke."
我去抽烟  I'm going to smoke
我去抽根烟 I'm going to have a cig
我出去抽根烟 I'm going to have a cig outside.

我去抽烟了 could be said when someone ask you 
"Where were you?" or "What did you do?" or "Where did you go?"

And it means
I was having a cig/ I was smoking.

"了" could imply a finished action when you put it at the end of a sentence.


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