Duration of Time in Chinese: 了…了, 多久 and Word Order

To express duration of time in Chinese, put the time phrase after the verb: Verb + 了 + duration, as in 我等了半个小时 (I waited for half an hour). With an object, repeat the verb (我学中文学了三年) or put the duration before the object (我学了三年中文). Add a second 了 at the end if the action is still going on.

This pattern comes up in almost every first conversation: "How long have you been learning Chinese?" "How long are you staying?" It is taught around HSK 2 and HSK 3, and it is one place where Chinese word order surprises a lot of learners. Below you will find each pattern, how to ask "how long," the double 了 trick, a table, dialogues, mistakes and a quiz. For the bigger picture of where time words go, see our Chinese grammar guide for beginners and the HSK 2 grammar list.

Duration of Time in Chinese: The Core Rule

Chinese has two kinds of time words, and they sit in different places.

A point in time (8 o'clock, Monday, last year) comes before the verb. It sets the scene.
A length of time (two hours, three years) comes after the verb. It measures the action.
我八点起床。
- Pinyin: Wǒ bā diǎn qǐchuáng.
- English: I get up at eight.
我睡了八个小时。
- Pinyin: Wǒ shuì le bā ge xiǎoshí.
- English: I slept for eight hours.

A simple way to remember it: English also puts "for eight hours" after the verb, so here the two languages agree. Our beginner grammar guide covers the "time before the verb" rule. Duration is the big exception to it, and mixing the two up is the most common error with this grammar.

Useful Duration Words

一会儿 (yíhuìr): a little while
五分钟 (wǔ fēnzhōng): five minutes
半个小时 (bàn ge xiǎoshí): half an hour
一个半小时 (yí ge bàn xiǎoshí): an hour and a half
一天 (yì tiān), 两个星期 (liǎng ge xīngqī), 三个月 (sān ge yuè), 一年 (yì nián)
半天 (bàntiān): literally "half a day," but in speech it usually just means "ages"

Notice that 天 and 年 take no 个, but 月 does. 星期 can go either way.

Verb + 了 + Duration: The Basic Pattern

Subject + Verb + 了 + Duration

When there is no object, this is all you need.

昨天晚上我睡了九个小时。
- Pinyin: Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ shuì le jiǔ ge xiǎoshí.
- English: Last night I slept for nine hours.
我们在上海住了两年。
- Pinyin: Wǒmen zài Shànghǎi zhù le liǎng nián.
- English: We lived in Shanghai for two years.

For habits and plans, drop the 了. The duration still goes after the verb:

我每天跑半个小时。
- Pinyin: Wǒ měitiān pǎo bàn ge xiǎoshí.
- English: I run for half an hour every day.

Time Duration Complement with an Object

Here is the tricky part. The duration wants to sit right after the verb, and so does the object. Chinese has two ways to settle this.

Repeat the Verb: 学中文学了三年

Verb + Object + Verb + 了 + Duration

Say the verb once with its object, then say it again with the duration. It sounds strange in English, but it is completely normal in Chinese.

我学中文学了三年。
- Pinyin: Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le sān nián.
- English: I studied Chinese for three years.
她打电话打了一个小时。
- Pinyin: Tā dǎ diànhuà dǎ le yí ge xiǎoshí.
- English: She was on the phone for an hour.
昨天我们开会开了一个下午。
- Pinyin: Zuótiān wǒmen kāihuì kāi le yí ge xiàwǔ.
- English: Yesterday we were in a meeting the whole afternoon.

Duration Before the Object: 学了三年的中文

Verb + 了 + Duration + (的) + Object

The other option is to slip the duration in between the verb and the object, a bit like "three years' Chinese." The 的 is optional.

我学了三年(的)中文。
- Pinyin: Wǒ xué le sān nián (de) Zhōngwén.
- English: I studied Chinese for three years.
我坐了十几个小时的火车。
- Pinyin: Wǒ zuò le shí jǐ ge xiǎoshí de huǒchē.
- English: I was on the train for more than ten hours.

Both patterns mean the same thing. Native speakers switch between them freely. Some people feel 的 sounds better with longer phrases, but there is no strict rule.

了…了 Chinese Grammar: "I Have Been Learning Chinese For..."

Verb + 了 + Duration + 了

Add a second 了 at the very end and the meaning changes: the action started in the past and is still going on. The first 了 says the time has passed. The last 了 says "up to now." Our complete guide to the particle 了 explains why sentence-final 了 works this way.

Compare:

我在北京住了两年。
- Pinyin: Wǒ zài Běijīng zhù le liǎng nián.
- English: I lived in Beijing for two years. (probably not anymore)
我在北京住了两年了。
- Pinyin: Wǒ zài Běijīng zhù le liǎng nián le.
- English: I've been living in Beijing for two years. (still there)

This is how you say "I have been learning Chinese for..." You can also say 我学了三年中文了. Both mean the same.

我学中文学了三年了。
- Pinyin: Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le sān nián le.
- English: I've been learning Chinese for three years.
我们等了半个小时了，他还没来。
- Pinyin: Wǒmen děng le bàn ge xiǎoshí le, tā hái méi lái.
- English: We've been waiting half an hour and he still isn't here.

To be fair, a sentence with only one 了 doesn't always mean the action stopped. It just doesn't say. Context does the rest.

Time Since Something Happened: 他来中国三年了

Some verbs happen once and are over, like 来 (come), 结婚 (get married), 毕业 (graduate) and 到 (arrive). With these, the duration tells you how long ago it happened. Use Verb (+ Object) + Duration + 了.

我们结婚十年了。
- Pinyin: Wǒmen jiéhūn shí nián le.
- English: We've been married for ten years.
我姐姐大学毕业两年了。
- Pinyin: Wǒ jiějie dàxué bìyè liǎng nián le.
- English: My sister graduated from university two years ago.

Duration of Not Doing Something: 我三天没吃肉了

Subject + Duration + 没 + Verb (+ Object) + 了

When something has not happened for a while, the duration jumps to the front, before 没. There is no action to measure, so you are measuring the gap instead. The 了 goes at the end, never after the verb. (If 没 still trips you up, see 不 vs. 没.)

我三天没吃肉了。
- Pinyin: Wǒ sān tiān méi chī ròu le.
- English: I haven't eaten meat for three days.
他好几个月没给我打电话了。
- Pinyin: Tā hǎo jǐ ge yuè méi gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà le.
- English: He hasn't called me in months.
我两年没回老家了。
- Pinyin: Wǒ liǎng nián méi huí lǎojiā le.
- English: I haven't been back to my hometown in two years.

How Long in Chinese Grammar: 多长时间 and 多久

To ask "how long," put 多长时间 (duō cháng shíjiān) or 多久 (duō jiǔ) where the answer would go. Everything else stays the same, including the double 了.

你学中文学了多长时间了？
- Pinyin: Nǐ xué Zhōngwén xué le duō cháng shíjiān le?
- English: How long have you been learning Chinese?
你等了多久了？
- Pinyin: Nǐ děng le duō jiǔ le?
- English: How long have you been waiting?

多久 is shorter and a little more casual. 多长时间 is common in textbooks and everyday speech alike. Pick whichever comes out of your mouth more easily.

Pronoun Objects: 等了他半天

Verb + 了 + Person + Duration

When the object is a person, especially a pronoun like 他, 你 or 我, it goes before the duration.

我等了他半天，他也没来。
- Pinyin: Wǒ děng le tā bàntiān, tā yě méi lái.
- English: I waited ages for him, and he never showed up.
我找了你一个上午。
- Pinyin: Wǒ zhǎo le nǐ yí ge shàngwǔ.
- English: I spent the whole morning looking for you.

With names you can say 等了小王二十分钟 or repeat the verb: 等小王等了二十分钟. With pronouns, the short form above is what people normally say.

Comparison Table: Duration Patterns at a Glance

Use	Pattern	Example	English
No object	V + 了 + duration	我睡了八个小时。	I slept for eight hours.
Object, repeat verb	V + O + V + 了 + duration	我学中文学了三年。	I studied Chinese for three years.
Object after duration	V + 了 + duration + (的) + O	我学了三年(的)中文。	I studied Chinese for three years.
Still going	… + duration + 了	我学了三年了。	I've been studying for three years.
Time since	V + duration + 了	我们结婚十年了。	We've been married for ten years.
Not doing	duration + 没 + V + 了	我三天没吃肉了。	I haven't eaten meat for three days.
Person as object	V + 了 + person + duration	我等了他半天。	I waited ages for him.
Asking	V + 了 + 多久 / 多长时间	你等了多久了？	How long have you been waiting?
Point in time (contrast)	time + V	我八点起床。	I get up at eight.

Real-Life Dialogues About How Long

Dialogue 1: Meeting Someone New

A: 你中文说得真好。你学了多长时间了？
- Pinyin: Nǐ Zhōngwén shuō de zhēn hǎo. Nǐ xué le duō cháng shíjiān le?
- English: Your Chinese is really good. How long have you been learning?
B: 谢谢！我学了两年了。
- Pinyin: Xièxie! Wǒ xué le liǎng nián le.
- English: Thanks! I've been learning for two years.
A: 你来中国多久了？
- Pinyin: Nǐ lái Zhōngguó duō jiǔ le?
- English: How long have you been in China?
B: 才半年。以前我在大学学了一年半中文。
- Pinyin: Cái bàn nián. Yǐqián wǒ zài dàxué xué le yì nián bàn Zhōngwén.
- English: Only six months. Before that I studied Chinese at university for a year and a half.

Dialogue 2: A Late Friend

A: 你怎么才来？我等了你四十分钟！
- Pinyin: Nǐ zěnme cái lái? Wǒ děng le nǐ sìshí fēnzhōng!
- English: Why are you only getting here now? I waited forty minutes for you!
B: 对不起，地铁停了二十分钟。
- Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, dìtiě tíng le èrshí fēnzhōng.
- English: Sorry, the subway stopped for twenty minutes.
A: 好吧。我饿死了，一天没吃东西了。
- Pinyin: Hǎo ba. Wǒ è sǐ le, yì tiān méi chī dōngxi le.
- English: Fine. I'm starving. I haven't eaten all day.
B: 那我们快去吃饭吧，我请客。
- Pinyin: Nà wǒmen kuài qù chīfàn ba, wǒ qǐngkè.
- English: Let's go eat right now, then. My treat.

Common Mistakes with Duration in Chinese

Mistake 1: Putting the Duration Before the Verb

Wrong: 我两个小时看了电视。
Right: 我看了两个小时电视。
- Pinyin: Wǒ kàn le liǎng ge xiǎoshí diànshì.
- English: I watched TV for two hours.

Mistake 2: Putting the Duration After the Object

Wrong: 我学了中文三年。
Right: 我学中文学了三年。 / 我学了三年中文。
- Pinyin: Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le sān nián. / Wǒ xué le sān nián Zhōngwén.
- English: I studied Chinese for three years.

Mistake 3: Putting a Pronoun After the Duration

Wrong: 我等了半天他。
Right: 我等了他半天。
- Pinyin: Wǒ děng le tā bàntiān.
- English: I waited ages for him.

Mistake 4: The Wrong Order for "Haven't Done"

Wrong: 我没吃肉三天。
Right: 我三天没吃肉了。
- Pinyin: Wǒ sān tiān méi chī ròu le.
- English: I haven't eaten meat for three days.

Practice Quiz: How Long in Chinese

Answers are below.

Put in order: 了 / 一个小时 / 我 / 跑 (I ran for an hour.)
Translate, and show it is still true: "I've been living in Shanghai for five years."
Fix the sentence: 我没喝咖啡一个星期。
Fill in: 你在这儿等 ___ ？ (How long have you been waiting here?)
Which one is wrong? A. 我等了他十分钟 B. 我等了十分钟他 C. 我等他等了十分钟

Answers

我跑了一个小时。 (duration after the verb)
我在上海住了五年了。 (final 了 for "still")
我一个星期没喝咖啡了。 (duration before 没, 了 at the end)
了多久了 or 了多长时间了 (你在这儿等了多久了？)
B (the pronoun goes before the duration)

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say duration of time in Chinese?

Put the time phrase after the verb, usually with 了 for a finished action: 我等了半个小时 (I waited for half an hour). Points in time like 八点 go before the verb, but durations go after it.

What does 了…了 mean in Chinese grammar?

A sentence like 我学了三年了 has two 了. The first marks the time that has passed, and the one at the end says "up to now," so the action is still going on. It means "I have been studying for three years."

How do you say "I have been learning Chinese for" a number of years?

Say 我学中文学了三年了 or 我学了三年中文了. Change 三年 to your own number, like 两个月 or 半年. The final 了 is what tells people you are still learning.

What is the difference between 多长时间 and 多久?

Both mean "how long." 多久 is shorter and a little more casual, while 多长时间 is slightly fuller and very common in textbooks. You can use either in most sentences.

Where does the duration go when the verb has an object?

Either repeat the verb, as in 我学中文学了三年, or put the duration between the verb and the object, as in 我学了三年(的)中文. If the object is a person, like 他 or 你, it comes before the duration: 我等了他半天.

What's Next

The quickest way to make this stick is to prepare your own answer to "你学中文学了多长时间了？" and say it out loud until it feels easy. After that, try short, casual actions with verb reduplication like 看看 and 休息休息, which is the opposite of measuring time exactly.

Learn Chinese is free to download on iOS and Android, with HSK vocabulary, built-in audio, grammar lessons and practice tests to help you get duration patterns right. HSK 1 and 2 are free in full, and Learn Chinese Pro adds HSK 3 to 6.