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Chinese Grammar question...

MagicToasterMagicToaster JapanRegistered User regular
edited November 2006 in Help / Advice Forum
In Chinese Mandarin I've seen the particle lè (pronounced la, I guess) used frequently at the end of sentences but I can't figure out it's purpose.

If I state Wo dong lè... or ask Ni wang lè ma?... I can't figure out the rule for this thing...

What is it? Is there an equivalent of this in Japanese, by any chance?

MagicToaster on

Posts

  • XntrggrXntrggr Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    LE changes the sentence to a "past tense". But since there isn't really a "tense" system in Chinese it's more of an experience kind of thing. Listen and read more and using LE should come more naturally.

    Wo dong -> I understand
    Wo dong lè -> I've understood

    Ni wang lè ma -> Have you forgotten?

    Wo du -> I (will) read.
    Wo du le -> I have read it.

    Oh, think of LE as adding 'already' to the sentence. That works too.

    And there isn't really an equivalent of that in Japanese. Maybe もう.

    And it's not pronounced la. It rhymes with blur.

    Xntrggr on
  • SenjutsuSenjutsu thot enthusiast Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    If what the guy above me is saying is correct, than no, Japanese doesn't really have an equivalent particle, because Japanese performs that function via conjugational tenses.

    Senjutsu on
  • MagicToasterMagicToaster JapanRegistered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    That makes so much more sense that what I thought it was. Any good Mandarin books you can recomend?

    MagicToaster on
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