<p>这三种表达在日常生活中都可以被中国人理解，中文是种意合的语言，而不是形合的结构性语言，我们的中文教学并不专门教授中文语法。书面表达上，我更接收第一和第二句翻译。</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-23T22:53:33.937Z
2017-08-23T22:53:33.937Z
SEBASTIAN
<p>The properly grammatical way to say this is: 我学中文学了四年了. First of all this uses the proper double 了 structure to convey "continuation", secondly it uses a topic comment structure:</p>

<p>Topic: 我学中文 "as for my Chinese studies..."<br>
Comment: 学了四年了 "I have been studying for four years"</p>

<p>This "double 了" structure is discussed in <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_ongoing_duration_with_double_%22le%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this online article</a> which contains almost exactly this example.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-03T20:42:35.323Z
Does this structure also work for questions? For example: `你学中文学了多久了？`
pixelearth
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-04T21:18:12.880Z
@pixelearth yes often when native speakers ask me how long I've been studying they use this exact construction.
JHE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-04T21:30:34.110Z
I think I've heard this too. I just sounds, well, weird and redundant. But I remember thinking that when I first learned `Qu'est-ce que c'est？` in French (literally `what is it that it is？`, but now I don't think twice about it. I'll just have to say `你学中文学了多久了?` over and over until it sounds normal, 哈哈.
pixelearth
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-29T00:23:10.823Z
2020-03-04T21:17:17.827Z
2020-03-04T21:17:17.827Z
JHE
<p>Basically, all of your three sentences are correct, but different in emphasis. </p>

<p>The sentence 1 "我已经学习中文四年了" is the best match for "I have been studying Chinese for 4 years." In this sentence, you just tell the fact and try not to emphasize anything.</p>

<p>The sentence 2 "我学习中文已经四年了" emphasizes "四年了". Once you said sentence 2, you would probably want to say more on the result of your learning. Like, 我学习中文已经四年了, 我现在可以用中文进行简单的日常沟通了(I can make simple communications in my daily life in Chinese)...blah, blah</p>

<p>The sentence 3 "我已经学了四年的中文" emphasizes "学了四年". Once you said sentence 3 我已经学了四年的中文, you would probably want to say more on the negative side (different from sentence 2, where you say more on the positive side). Something like, 我已经学了四年的中文, 但我还是说不好(but I can't speak it well) or 但我还是什么都不会(but I still know nothing)。</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-24T01:34:00.270Z
2017-08-24T01:34:00.270Z
dan
<p>How can I most accurately say the simple sentence:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>I have been studying Chinese for 4 years.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This is a very simple phrase, and I am surprised at myself for not being confident in which one of the following is accurate:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我已经学习中文四年了。</p>
  
  <p>我学习中文已经四年了。</p>
  
  <p>我已经学了四年的中文。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>With regard to the first two, I am particularly confused about the placing of "已经," and whether it should be before or after the verb.  As for the third, it is a different sentence structure, is it incorrect?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-23T17:43:36.297Z
１✓，３✓ why not also use 学习 instead of shortening it to 学?)（see  grammar on complements of duration, often discussed at this site)２✗：adverb 已经 must precedeverb （学习), instead of 1 verb can（should according to some grammars) be repeated ４：我学习中文已经学了四年了。Also with fronted object (making repetition of verb unnecessary) 中文我已经学习４年了。

(it seems exactly the same question has occurred before and some claimed that 2 is correct also)
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-23T17:43:40.340Z
Please clarify that you really mean "I have studied" (implying that you are no longer studying it) and not "I have been studying". If it's the former, it is not clear what the "已经" is for.
Tsundoku
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-23T17:45:52.630Z
@ChristopheStrobbe I mean, "I have been studying."  Does the “已经” change the meaning?  I thought it sort of just gave emphasis.
The_Anomaly
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-23T17:52:46.457Z
one more possibility (discussed at this site before): 的 can be omitted from 3: 我已经学习了四年中文。
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-23T18:21:46.767Z
see previous Q：https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23681/does-this-placement-of-%e5%b7%b2%e7%b6%93-alter-the-meaning/23684#23684 esp。comments
user6065
<translation><grammar><sentence-structure>
How to say: "I have been studying Chinese for 4 years."
# How to say: "I have been studying Chinese for 4 years."

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-08-23)

How can I most accurately say the simple sentence:

> I have been studying Chinese for 4 years.

This is a very simple phrase, and I am surprised at myself for not being confident in which one of the following is accurate:

> 我已经学习中文四年了。
>
> 我学习中文已经四年了。
>
> 我已经学了四年的中文。

With regard to the first two, I am particularly confused about the placing of "已经," and whether it should be before or after the verb. As for the third, it is a different sentence structure, is it incorrect?

**Tags:** translation, grammar, sentence-structure

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: １✓，３✓ why not also use 学习 instead of shortening it to 学?)（see  grammar on complements of duration, often discussed at this site)２✗：adverb 已经 must precedeverb （学习), instead of 1 verb can（should according to some grammars) be repeated ４：我学习中文已经学了四年了。Also with fronted object (making repetition of verb unnecessary) 中文我已经学习４年了。  (it seems exactly the same question has occurred before and some claimed that 2 is correct also)  
> **username_2**: Please clarify that you really mean "I have studied" (implying that you are no longer studying it) and not "I have been studying". If it's the former, it is not clear what the "已经" is for.  
> **username_0**: @ChristopheStrobbe I mean, "I have been studying."  Does the “已经” change the meaning?  I thought it sort of just gave emphasis.  
> **username_1**: one more possibility (discussed at this site before): 的 can be omitted from 3: 我已经学习了四年中文。  
> **username_1**: see previous Q：https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23681/does-this-placement-of-%e5%b7%b2%e7%b6%93-alter-the-meaning/23684#23684 esp。comments  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2017-08-24. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

Basically, all of your three sentences are correct, but different in emphasis.

The sentence 1 "我已经学习中文四年了" is the best match for "I have been studying Chinese for 4 years." In this sentence, you just tell the fact and try not to emphasize anything.

The sentence 2 "我学习中文已经四年了" emphasizes "四年了". Once you said sentence 2, you would probably want to say more on the result of your learning. Like, 我学习中文已经四年了, 我现在可以用中文进行简单的日常沟通了(I can make simple communications in my daily life in Chinese)...blah, blah

The sentence 3 "我已经学了四年的中文" emphasizes "学了四年". Once you said sentence 3 我已经学了四年的中文, you would probably want to say more on the negative side (different from sentence 2, where you say more on the positive side). Something like, 我已经学了四年的中文, 但我还是说不好(but I can't speak it well) or 但我还是什么都不会(but I still know nothing)。


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-08-23. Score: 5

这三种表达在日常生活中都可以被中国人理解，中文是种意合的语言，而不是形合的结构性语言，我们的中文教学并不专门教授中文语法。书面表达上，我更接收第一和第二句翻译。


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### Answer by username_4 on 2019-12-29. Score: 2

The properly grammatical way to say this is: 我学中文学了四年了. First of all this uses the proper double 了 structure to convey "continuation", secondly it uses a topic comment structure:

Topic: 我学中文 "as for my Chinese studies..."  
Comment: 学了四年了 "I have been studying for four years"

This "double 了" structure is discussed in [this online article](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_ongoing_duration_with_double_%22le%22) which contains almost exactly this example.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Does this structure also work for questions? For example: `你学中文学了多久了？`  
> **username_4**: @username_5 yes often when native speakers ask me how long I've been studying they use this exact construction.  
> **username_5**: I think I've heard this too. I just sounds, well, weird and redundant. But I remember thinking that when I first learned `Qu'est-ce que c'est？` in French (literally `what is it that it is？`, but now I don't think twice about it. I'll just have to say `你学中文学了多久了?` over and over until it sounds normal, 哈哈.  

---

