<p>The sentence is </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>(1) 突然父亲嘘了一口气</p>
</blockquote>

<p>and</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>(2) 突然父亲嘘一口气</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I would have understand them if it's not the for the "突然" part.</p>

<p>My take:</p>

<ul>
<li>(1) <em>"Suddenly father exhaled (once)"</em> (like "ooooh" and then maybe
died).</li>
<li>(2) <em>"Suddenly father started to perform an exhale."</em> (and after he
performed it maybe he died).</li>
</ul>

<p>P.S. Sentence (2) As far as I see doesn't have niether of those readings: </p>

<ol>
<li>Conteractual. "If something happens/ed, then he has/would exhaled.</li>
<li>Suprise. He can exhale?!</li>
<li>Probable. Well, he can exhale.</li>
<li>Future. He might exhale.</li>
<li>Deductive. He exhale. (I can say that based on some reasoning)</li>
<li>Abilitive. He can exhale.</li>
</ol>

<p>that 突然 eliminate all those readings and I'm lost a bit.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-26T09:10:24.507Z
see dictionaries, why not "exhale" （with verbal measure:一口气) instead of "give/perform a breath";小马词典： 嘘 exhale; hiss, regarding (1) also see jukuu：嘘一口气 2 examples: 1.便嘘了一口气 released his breath, 4.宽慰地嘘了一口气 gave a sigh of relief,
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-26T09:21:31.723Z
The problems is of coures is not in verb meaning, but in having 了 and not having 了 with 突然 and 一口气. I'll fix the verb translation. Thanks.
coobit
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-26T09:38:38.740Z
looking for examples of 突然 not followed by 了？
突然訇的一声, 震得山鸣谷应，突然默不作声，突然发生吵架，严寒突然来临，突然改变方向，他突然一跳, 用拳头在桌子上一砸（all in bkrs）
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-26T09:45:19.840Z
So it is a narrative? Looks plausible, but Is that a description of a real situation or of an imaginary one? Who started that narrative and why? (You might think it's unimportant but for me this info is vital).
coobit
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-26T09:52:03.950Z
May it be a painter who explains what he sees in his mind? I don't think it might be a news reporter. Right? Can it be a historian, explaining some past chain of events?
coobit
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-26T10:37:51.003Z
it would seem that in the presence of other indicators
of completed action (like adverb 突然 and verbal measure 一口气，cf。above 突然改变方向, 他突然一跳）了 is not obligatory）
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-26T10:42:30.627Z
I think 了 obligatory when we speak about real thing. If we speak about possible, imaginary and habitual things 了 can't be used. Thats the reason for me to ask you about context of your long example. In you expample you demonstrated that 突然 can be used in an imaginary context thus rendering 了 out.
coobit
<translation><meaning><particles>
Why does 了 change in 突然父亲嘘(了)一口气?
# Why does 了 change in 突然父亲嘘(了)一口气?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-05-26)

The sentence is

> (1) 突然父亲嘘了一口气

and

> (2) 突然父亲嘘一口气

I would have understand them if it's not the for the "突然" part.

My take:

* (1) *"Suddenly father exhaled (once)"* (like "ooooh" and then maybe
  died).
* (2) *"Suddenly father started to perform an exhale."* (and after he
  performed it maybe he died).

P.S. Sentence (2) As far as I see doesn't have niether of those readings:

1. Conteractual. "If something happens/ed, then he has/would exhaled.
2. Suprise. He can exhale?!
3. Probable. Well, he can exhale.
4. Future. He might exhale.
5. Deductive. He exhale. (I can say that based on some reasoning)
6. Abilitive. He can exhale.

that 突然 eliminate all those readings and I'm lost a bit.

**Tags:** translation, meaning, particles

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: see dictionaries, why not "exhale" （with verbal measure:一口气) instead of "give/perform a breath";小马词典： 嘘 exhale; hiss, regarding (1) also see jukuu：嘘一口气 2 examples: 1.便嘘了一口气 released his breath, 4.宽慰地嘘了一口气 gave a sigh of relief,  
> **username_0**: The problems is of coures is not in verb meaning, but in having 了 and not having 了 with 突然 and 一口气. I'll fix the verb translation. Thanks.  
> **username_1**: looking for examples of 突然 not followed by 了？ 突然訇的一声, 震得山鸣谷应，突然默不作声，突然发生吵架，严寒突然来临，突然改变方向，他突然一跳, 用拳头在桌子上一砸（all in bkrs）  
> **username_0**: So it is a narrative? Looks plausible, but Is that a description of a real situation or of an imaginary one? Who started that narrative and why? (You might think it's unimportant but for me this info is vital).  
> **username_0**: May it be a painter who explains what he sees in his mind? I don't think it might be a news reporter. Right? Can it be a historian, explaining some past chain of events?  
> **username_1**: it would seem that in the presence of other indicators of completed action (like adverb 突然 and verbal measure 一口气，cf。above 突然改变方向, 他突然一跳）了 is not obligatory）  
> **username_0**: I think 了 obligatory when we speak about real thing. If we speak about possible, imaginary and habitual things 了 can't be used. Thats the reason for me to ask you about context of your long example. In you expample you demonstrated that 突然 can be used in an imaginary context thus rendering 了 out.  

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## 0 answers

