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Level Everyday Chinese · HSK 2

How Long and How Often: Duration, 次, 遍 and Separable Verbs

Time words that say when (明天, 三点) go before the verb. Time phrases that say how long go after it: 我学了两年, "I studied for two years". The same goes for how many times: 我去过两次.

The tricky part is the object: it competes for the space after the verb. This guide shows the three ways Chinese handles that.

Verb + (了) + duration

The duration follows the verb directly. Ask with 多长时间 or 多久.

  • 我等了十分钟。

    Wǒ děng le shí fēnzhōng.

    I waited ten minutes.

  • 他在中国住了三年。

    Tā zài Zhōngguó zhù le sān nián.

    He lived in China for three years.

  • 你学了多长时间中文？

    Nǐ xué le duō cháng shíjiān Zhōngwén?

    How long did you study Chinese?

Duration with an object

Either repeat the verb (学汉语学了两年), or put the duration between verb and object, often with 的 (学了两年(的)汉语). If the object is a person or pronoun, it comes before the duration: 等了他半天.

To say how long it's been since something happened, put the duration first and negate: 我三年没回家了 (I haven't been home for three years).

  • 我学汉语学了两年。

    Wǒ xué Hànyǔ xué le liǎng nián.

    I studied Chinese for two years.

  • 我学了两年汉语。

    Wǒ xué le liǎng nián Hànyǔ.

    I studied Chinese for two years.

  • 我等了他半天。

    Wǒ děng le tā bàntiān.

    I waited ages for him.

  • 他三年没回家了。

    Tā sān nián méi huí jiā le.

    He hasn't been home for three years.

How many times: 次 and 遍

次 (cì) counts occasions; 遍 (biàn) counts times through something from start to finish (reading, listening, saying). The count follows the verb (+ 了 / 过). A place usually comes after the count; a person or pronoun comes before it.

  • 我去过两次北京。

    Wǒ qù guo liǎng cì Běijīng.

    I've been to Beijing twice.

  • 我见过他一次。

    Wǒ jiàn guo tā yí cì.

    I've met him once.

  • 请再说一遍。

    Qǐng zài shuō yí biàn.

    Please say it again.

Separable verbs: 见面, 洗澡, 睡觉

Many two-syllable verbs are really verb + object: 见面 (see-face, meet), 洗澡 (wash-bath), 睡觉 (sleep-sleep), 游泳, 照相, 排队. Aspect words, durations and counts go between the two halves, and they can't take another object directly.

  • 我们见过一次面。

    Wǒmen jiàn guo yí cì miàn.

    We've met once.

  • 我昨天睡了八个小时觉。

    Wǒ zuótiān shuì le bā ge xiǎoshí jiào.

    I slept eight hours last night.

  • 我想跟你见面。

    Wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ jiànmiàn.

    I'd like to meet you.

Common mistakes

  • ✗我两年学了汉语。

    ✓我学了两年汉语。

    Wǒ xué le liǎng nián Hànyǔ.

    How long goes after the verb. Before the verb, a time phrase means "when" (or, with a negative, "for how long not").

  • ✗我见面他了。

    ✓我跟他见面了。

    Wǒ gēn tā jiànmiàn le.

    见面 already contains its object (面). The person goes before it with 跟.

  • ✗我洗澡了两次。

    ✓我洗了两次澡。

    Wǒ xǐ le liǎng cì zǎo.

    Separable verbs split: the count goes between the verb and its built-in object.

Questions learners ask

How do I know if a verb is separable?

Dictionaries mark them (often with // between the syllables, as in 见//面). As a rule of thumb, if the second syllable is a noun that the first acts on, the verb probably separates.

What does 学了两年了 mean, with two 了?

That you've been studying for two years and still are. With one 了 the studying is over. See the B1 guide on time spans.

Practice this in lessons

The Everyday Chinese lessons teach this step by step, with exercises and review built in.

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