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Fun Stuff (Beginner)
Are You Finished or Not?
Learn Basic Chinese – the Usage of "完了 (Wán le)" and "没完 (Méi wán)"
Susan is an American who can speak and understand a little Chinese. One day, she went shopping with her Chinese friend Li Jia.
Nĭ măi le hăo duō dōngxi ya!
Susan: 你 买 了 好 多 东西 呀！
Wow, you bought so much!
Susan: 你 买 了 好 多 东西 呀！
Wow, you bought so much!
Shì a! Āiya, wŏ wán le, wŏ bă wŏ lăogōng zhè ge yuè de gōngzī quán huā wán le.
Li Jia: 是啊！哎呀，我完 了，我 把 我 老公 这 个 月 的 工资 全 花 完 了。
Tā kĕndìng hé wŏ méi wán.
他 肯定 和 我 没 完。
Li Jia: 是啊！哎呀，我完 了，我 把 我 老公 这 个 月 的 工资 全 花 完 了。
Tā kĕndìng hé wŏ méi wán.
他 肯定 和 我 没 完。
Oh, I’m done. I spent my husband’s entire paycheck. I’m afraid he
won’t let that drop so easily.
Nà dàodĭ shì wán le hái shì méi wán ya?
Susan: 那 到底 是 完 了 还 是 没 完 呀？
So....are you done or not?
Susan: 那 到底 是 完 了 还 是 没 完 呀？
So....are you done or not?
Haha... Wŏ shì wán le, tā kĕndìng méi wán.
Li Jia: 哈哈.....我 是 完 了，他 肯定 没 完。
Haha...well I’ve finished shopping, but he is not going to let this go very easily.
Li Jia: 哈哈.....我 是 完 了，他 肯定 没 完。
Haha...well I’ve finished shopping, but he is not going to let this go very easily.
Wŏ zĕnme bù míngbai...
Susan: 我 还是 不 明白......
I’m still a little confused.
Susan: 我 还是 不 明白......
I’m still a little confused.
Do you know why Susan got mixed up?
She doesn't understand the other meanings of the Chinese expressions, "完了(wán le)" and "没完 (méi wán)," besides the literal meanings: to be completed/done and incomplete or undone. Today, we’ll give a general overview of these two phrases.
"完了(Wán le)" itself has three meanings. It literally means to finish something and it’s usually used following a verb. When Li Jia said, "我把我老公这个月的工资全花完了(Wŏ bă wŏ lăogōng zhè ge yuè de gōngzī quán huā wán le),” she meant that she spent all of her husband's salary.
Example One:
Wŏ bă zhè bĕn shū kàn wán le.
我 把 这 本 书 看 完 了。
I finished reading this book.
我 把 这 本 书 看 完 了。
I finished reading this book.
Example Two:
Wŏ shuō wán le.
我 说 完 了。
I’m done talking.
我 说 完 了。
I’m done talking.
Another meaning of "完了(wán le)," is to indicate that something has come to an end.
Example Three:
Zhège diànshìjù yăn wán le.
这个 电视剧 演 完 了。
The TV series came to an end.
这个 电视剧 演 完 了。
The TV series came to an end.
Finally, "完了 (wán le)" can be used to describe the hopeless feeling felt when one has made a mess of things. Li Jia spent all of her husband's salary and was afraid that he’d be mad, so she said, “哎呀，我完了。 (Āiya, wŏ wán le.)”
Example Four:
Wán le, chē kuài méi yóu le, dào bù liăo jiā le.
完 了，车 快 没 油 了，到 不 了 家 了。
I’m done. The car is going to run out of gas before I get home.
完 了，车 快 没 油 了，到 不 了 家 了。
I’m done. The car is going to run out of gas before I get home.
The expression "没完 (méi wán)," literally means something left unfinished or undone.
Example One:
Huór hái méi wán, nĭ zĕnme jiù zŏu le?
活儿 还 没 完，你 怎么 就 走 了？
The work isn’t finished yet; how can you just leave?
活儿 还 没 完，你 怎么 就 走 了？
The work isn’t finished yet; how can you just leave?
In addition, “没完 (méi wán)” can also be used to convey an entanglement with someone over something unpleasant. In the dialogue, Li Jia used “没完 (méi wán),” because she was worried that her husband would fight with her after spending all his money.
Example Two:
Nĭ zĕnme le?
John: 你 怎么 了？
What's wrong?
John: 你 怎么 了？
What's wrong?
Wŏ bă Lĭ Míng de chē pèng huài le.
Mike: 我 把 李明 的 车 碰 坏 了。
I messed up Li Ming's car.
Mike: 我 把 李明 的 车 碰 坏 了。
I messed up Li Ming's car.
Nà kĕ shì tā de ài chē, tā kĕndìng yào gēn nĭ méi wán le.
John: 那 可 是 他 的 爱 车，他 肯定 要 跟 你 没 完 了。
That car is his baby. He’s not going to let that go so easily.
John: 那 可 是 他 的 爱 车，他 肯定 要 跟 你 没 完 了。
That car is his baby. He’s not going to let that go so easily.
Discussion
I have learned Survival Chinese courses here for a week and noticed that in Lesson 4 of the Survival Chinese course there is the measure word "个." The usage of this is not very clear to me? Could you explain it? Thanks!
- Tina
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