了 for completed actions
Use 了 to show that an action is completed in the current context.
Examples
Mandarin ChineseTranslation
我看了那篇文章。Wǒ kàn le nà piān wénzhāng.
I read that article.
他买了两张票。Tā mǎi le liǎng zhāng piào.
He bought two tickets.
我们吃了晚饭。Wǒmen chī le wǎnfàn.
We ate dinner.
Pattern
verb + 了 + object
How it works
Use 了 to show that an action is completed in the current context. This pattern typically appears as verb + 了 + object and becomes easier when you meet it again in short, readable examples.
What to notice
- 了 often marks a completed action rather than “past tense” in a broad sense.
- Context still matters for how the sentence is interpreted.
Why it matters
See how Mandarin marks completion, experience, and action in progress.
Use in context
This is one of the most important first aspect pages because Mandarin does not conjugate verbs for tense the way many European languages do.