HSK 1 · VERSION 2.0#20
Expressing Completion with “le”
了
How it works
Verb-suffix 了 presents an action as completed. It marks perfective aspect, not past tense by itself; time words and context locate the event in time.
The pattern
Subject + Verb + 了 + Object
Example sentences
我吃了饭。
I ate / have eaten.
他买了一本书。
He bought a book.
我们去了学校。
We went to school.
Usage note
This 了 focuses on the completion of an action, not just past time.