A few simple gramar stuff I still don't understand

[daxia]

Hey all

I have studied Chinese here in China for 18 months now. I can read about 1000 chars and I can pretty much talk to someone in Chinese without any problems.

Although, the most simple things seems to be the hardest to master.

I would very much appreciate if someone in a very uncomplicated and clear way could tell me how and when to use 了 (le, not liao). And also please tell me how to use 地,得,的。

Theese are all very basic stuff and I don't dare to ask my teacher about it

[Lugubert]

"Most simple things"??? After, likewise, 18 months, but in Sweden, I find the different le's (some say two, some say three) the most unexplainable part of the language. Regarding de de's, when we work with real life texts from books or newspapers, our teacher rather often tells us that "this is probably not the correct de".

I can't help you except for offering this little piece of encouragement (which it is meant to be). But search this forum; I think there have been several posts with good advice. I suppose the only thing is to be patient and get exposed to as many examples (hopefully correct) and learn from experience.

[Weronika]

了

http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Grammar%20exercises/LE1.htm

的

http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Grammar%20exercises/DE1.htm

[daxia]

Thanks for the help, although now I think it's even more difficult to understand le.

I think I'm just gonna ignore it for now. I think you have to get used to hear and see other people use it to understand it.

[roddy]

I think I'm just gonna ignore it for now. I think you have to get used to hear and see other people use it to understand it.

Basically, yes. This is the kind of thing you can discuss until you are reciting grammar books backwards (especially le, not so much with the de triplets).

If you check the sticky at the top of the Grammar forum you'll find links to lengthy discussions on each, so I'll close this now. Anything else can go in the specific discussions linked there.