Duration and frequency complements
补语 / complements
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
The duration of an action goes after the verb: 我游了一个小时 (I swam for an hour).
With an object, two options:
1. Repeat the verb: 我打球打了两个小时.
2. Put the duration between verb and object: 我打了两个小时(的)球.
With a pronoun, the duration comes after the pronoun: 我等了他半个小时.
If the action is still going on, add a final 了: 我学了三年中文了 (I've been learning Chinese for three years, and still am).
Examples
他每天跑步跑一个小时。
Tā měi tiān pǎobù pǎo yí ge xiǎoshí.He runs for an hour every day.
我们看了两个多小时的比赛。
Wǒmen kàn le liǎng ge duō xiǎoshí de bǐsài.We watched the match for over two hours.
我在体育馆等了你半天！
Wǒ zài tǐyùguǎn děng le nǐ bàntiān!I waited for you at the stadium for ages!
她练游泳练了十年了。
Tā liàn yóuyǒng liàn le shí nián le.She's been training in swimming for ten years.
Common mistakes
✗ 我两个小时打球。 → ✓ 我打了两个小时球。
✗ 我等了半个小时他。 → pronoun before duration. ✓ 我等了他半个小时。
✗ 我游泳了一个小时。 → 游泳 is verb+object: ✓ 我游泳游了一个小时。