Pattern
Verb + duration / Verb + object + verb + duration
Core idea
Duration phrases say how long an action lasts. With simple intransitive verbs, the duration can follow the verb. With verb-object phrases, a safe beginner pattern is to say the object, repeat the verb, then add the duration.
This repeated-verb shape may feel unusual from English, but it keeps the duration attached to the action.
What learners often miss
A duration is not the same as a time-when phrase. It does not usually sit before the verb to frame the event. It measures the event from the inside.
Examples
我们聊了半个小时。
Wǒmen liáo le bàn ge xiǎoshí.
We chatted for half an hour.
他学中文学了两年。
Tā xué Zhōngwén xué le liǎng nián.
He studied Chinese for two years.
她在台北住了三个月。
Tā zài Táiběi zhù le sān ge yuè.
She lived in Taipei for three months.
Common mistakes
Avoid
他两年学中文。
Use
他学中文学了两年。
A bare duration before the verb can sound like a time frame. Use a duration pattern to say how long the studying lasted.