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I was practicing translating the following sentences:
Relax, this problem has already been solved! 放輕鬆吧，這個問題已經解決了。
That foreigner hasn’t taken a bus for a long time. 那個外國人很久沒有搭巴士了。
I feel I added 了 at the end of each sentence based on feel but am unsure why. If I omitted 了 would the sentences still be correct? What meaning is added by 了 in this case?
In this situation adding LE at the end means, "now" or "already".
That foreigner hasn’t taken a bus for a long time, now.
What meaning does this "now" adds? Well, it adds a meaning of crossing some threshold in the mind of the utterer.
Before now, his not taking a bus was alright, but now... well it's just not normal in some sence any more.
