<p>了, in verb sense, means "put to the end", "terminate". You can find it in the phrase 了結 and 不了了之. </p>

<p>If you find it in the end of the sentence, it means something already done, for example, 知了 (acknowledged), 走了 (gone), 食了 (eaten) or changed to particular states, for example 壞了 (already turned bad), 空了 (already turned empty, emptied), 碎了 (already broken).</p>

<p>The same rule can applied to 不忙了, 有空了.</p>

<p>不忙了: (changed to) no longer busy.</p>

<p>有空了: (changed to) free.</p>

<p>For "我以前很忙，但是現在不忙了。" and "我以前很忙，但是現在有空了。", both sentence are right </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-18T13:17:33.483Z
Thanks a lot. Now I understand
读凯多
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-18T09:14:04.417Z
2019-07-18T09:14:04.417Z
OmniBus
<p>不……了 = not ... anymore</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>不</strong>忙<strong>了</strong> = <strong>not</strong> busy <strong>anymore</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我以前学习英语，现在<strong>不</strong>学习<strong>了</strong>。I used to study English, now I do<strong>n't</strong> study <strong>anymore</strong>.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-23T21:15:37.180Z
2019-07-23T21:15:37.180Z
Enrico Brasil
<p>Both “我以前很忙，但是现在不忙了。” and "我以前很忙，但是现在有空了。" are correct and of the same meaning.</p>

<p>"了" here is an auxilary 汉字，which can be omitted.</p>

<p>With "了", you express some feeling of relaxiation. Without "了", you express the contrast fact between 以前 and 现在。 However the difference is nuiance.</p>

<p>However, if you add "已经", for example  “我以前很忙，但是现在<strong>已经</strong>不忙了。” and "我以前很忙，但是现在<strong>已经</strong>有空了。" ，then you had better keep the "了" to match "已经"</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-18T13:17:54.320Z
Thanks,  I got it
读凯多
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-17T09:55:49.247Z
2019-07-17T09:55:49.247Z
cauckf
<p>I've been taught that 了  particle is not used in a negative sentence,  but I'm confused with this one. </p>

<p>“我以前很忙，但是现在不忙了。”
 Is this right? </p>

<p>I would say this. 
我以前很忙，但是现在有空了。</p>

<p>Help please</p>

<particles>
了 particle usage
# 了 particle usage

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-07-17)

I've been taught that 了 particle is not used in a negative sentence, but I'm confused with this one.

“我以前很忙，但是现在不忙了。”
Is this right?

I would say this.
我以前很忙，但是现在有空了。

Help please

**Tags:** particles


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-07-18. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

了, in verb sense, means "put to the end", "terminate". You can find it in the phrase 了結 and 不了了之.

If you find it in the end of the sentence, it means something already done, for example, 知了 (acknowledged), 走了 (gone), 食了 (eaten) or changed to particular states, for example 壞了 (already turned bad), 空了 (already turned empty, emptied), 碎了 (already broken).

The same rule can applied to 不忙了, 有空了.

不忙了: (changed to) no longer busy.

有空了: (changed to) free.

For "我以前很忙，但是現在不忙了。" and "我以前很忙，但是現在有空了。", both sentence are right

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks a lot. Now I understand  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-07-23. Score: 0

不……了 = not ... anymore

> **不**忙**了** = **not** busy **anymore**

.

> 我以前学习英语，现在**不**学习**了**。I used to study English, now I do**n't** study **anymore**.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2019-07-17. Score: 0

Both “我以前很忙，但是现在不忙了。” and "我以前很忙，但是现在有空了。" are correct and of the same meaning.

"了" here is an auxilary 汉字，which can be omitted.

With "了", you express some feeling of relaxiation. Without "了", you express the contrast fact between 以前 and 现在。 However the difference is nuiance.

However, if you add "已经", for example “我以前很忙，但是现在**已经**不忙了。” and "我以前很忙，但是现在**已经**有空了。" ，then you had better keep the "了" to match "已经"

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks,  I got it  

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