Time-measure complement

Only phrases denoting a period of time (duration expressions) can serve as a time-measure complement. Such phrases usually consist of a numeral, a measure word and a time word.

一个星期 / 一個星期      yí ge xīngqī                  one week

一个月 / 一個月             yí ge yuè                      one month

一个小时 / 一個小時     yí ge xiǎoshí                 one hour  

一分钟 / 一分鐘             yì fēnzhōng                  one minute

The exceptions are nouns tiān 天 ‘a day’ and nián 年 ‘a year’, which should be combined with numerals directly (without measure words).

一天                 yì tiān                              one day

一年                 yì nián                             one year

Also check → Measure words

More general duration expressions include:

一会儿 / 一會兒               yíhuìr                               a moment, a while

很长时间 / 很長時間          hěn cháng shíjiān             a long time     

很久                   hěn jiǔ                              a long time

Structures

Pattern A: Expressing the duration of an action or state

In the sentences expressing the duration of an action or state, the duration expressions are usually placed after the verb.

With an aspectual particle

If the verb is used with the aspectual particles le 了 or guo 过/過, the duration expression always comes after these particles.

In sentences with time-measure complements the aspectual particle zhe 着/著 is not used.

With an object

The position of an object in sentences with time-measure complements depends on the type of the object or/and the type of the duration expression.

A noun object (represented by a common noun or an abstract noun) is usually placed after the time-measure complement.

If the verb has a noun object, a structural particle de 的 can be used between the duration expression and the object.

A pronoun object is always placed before the time-measure complement.

The object denoting a specific person is usually placed before the time-measure complement.

If the time-measure complement is represented by an indefinite temporal phrase like  yíhuìr 一会儿 / 一會兒 ‘a while’, bàntiān 半天 ‘long time, quite a while’ etc., the object denoting a specific person can appear before or after the verb (depending on the context).

With adverbs

The adverbs usually appear before the verb.

The adverb yǐjīng 已经/已經 ‘already’ can also be placed before the time-measure complement.

Alternative patterns:

When the information about the duration of an action is highlighted and the noun object is present, it is also possible to repeat the verb after the object and place the duration expression after the repeated verb at the end of the sentence. In such sentences the aspectual particle always comes after the second verb.

In specific contexts the object can be placed at the sentence initial position or preverbal position.

Questions

Questions about the duration of an action are formed by replacing the duration expression with an appropriate interrogative phrase, e.g. duō cháng shíjiān 多长时间 / 多長時間 ‘how long’, jǐ nián 几年 / 幾年 ‘how many years’, jǐ ge yuè 几个月 / 幾個月 ‘how many months’ etc.

Negation

Negation adverbs (bù 不 or méi 没/沒) are usually used in the sentences which correct wrong or inaccurate information. They are placed before the verb.

Pattern B: Expressing the duration of the situation described in the sentence

This pattern is used when the duration expression refers not to a single action, but to a more complex event or situation described by a verb phrase (usually composed of a verb and its object). The time-measure complement is added to the whole verb phrase and placed after the object (not after the verb).

Alternative patterns

The same meaning can be expressed by sentences in which the verb is repeated after the object and followed by a time-measure complement (duration expression).

Pattern C: Expressing the amount of time that has passed since a certain event or action

The duration expression can also be used to express the amount of time that has passed since a particular point in time. In such sentences the predicate is usually represented by a verb which refers to an action lasting for a very short time  [1], a verb phrase with such a verb [2], or a verb phrase with a resultative [3] or directional complement [4].

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

In this sentence pattern a time-measure complement usually appears after the object, when it follows the verb. It cannot be placed between the verb and the object.

With an aspectual particle

In this sentence pattern, the aspectual particle le 了 can be used only with a single verb that appears without an object [1]. If a verb combines with an object to form a verb phrase, the aspectual particle cannot be used after the verb [2].

[1]

[2]

With adverbs

Adverbs that refer to the duration expression usually appear before the complement.

The adverb yǐjīng 已经/已經 ‘already’ can also be used before the verb.

Functions

1. Time-measure complements can express the duration of the action or the state denoted by the verb.

2. Time-measure complements can also express the duration of the situation described by the verb phrase.

3. When used with verbs which refer to events or actions lasting for a very short time, time-measure complements express the amount of time that has passed since these events or actions.