HSK 2
该⋯⋯了
gāi ⋯ ⋯ liǎo
The structure '该⋯⋯了': It's time to do something
Explanation
该⋯⋯了 (gāi... le) is a colloquial structure meaning 'it's time to do something now', carrying a sense of reminding or suddenly realizing.
(Subject) + 该 gāi + Verb + 了 le.
该睡觉了 (it's time to go to sleep); 我该复习生词了 (I should review the new words now).
When the right moment has come and you need to get down to doing something: time to sleep, time to review, time to go... It usually comes with a time marker beforehand (十一点了 - it's eleven o'clock).
The final 了 le is obligatory to create the meaning 'the time has come'; without 了 the sentence loses this nuance.
Vietnamese learners often forget the final 了 le (saying only 该睡觉), which prevents the sentence from expressing 'it's time'; and often place a noun directly after 该 instead of a verb (a VERB must follow 该).
Examples
It's eleven o'clock; it's time to go to sleep.
There's a dictation tomorrow; I should review the new words now.
Practice
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Learn “该⋯⋯了” effectively
The grammar point “该⋯⋯了” (The structure '该⋯⋯了': It's time to do something) is one of the key structures at HSK 2. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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