Want to sound more natural in Chinese fast? Start with aspect markers — 了 (le), 过 (guo), and 着 (zhe). These tiny words don’t show tense like English; they show how an action happens: completed, experienced before, or ongoing. Today you’ll learn clear patterns and get quick practice you can use right away.

Aspect vs. Tense (Quick idea)

Chinese doesn’t change verbs for past or present. Instead, aspect markers tell listeners what kind of action you mean:

• 了 (le): completed or a change of situation
• 过 (guo): “have ever” experience
• 着 (zhe): ongoing state/continuous condition

You can add time words (昨天, 现在, 以前) to show when things happen.

了 (le): Completed action and change of state

Use 了 after a verb to show a completed action.

• 我买了书。 I bought a book.
• 他昨天去了上海。 He went to Shanghai yesterday.

Use sentence-final 了 to show a new situation/change.

• 我下班了。 I’m off work now.
• 下雨了。 It’s raining (now).

现在下雨，别出门。

Common beginner mix-ups with 了

• 你吃饭了吗？ Have you eaten? (very common daily greeting)
• 我还没吃。 I haven’t eaten yet.

Note: Use 还没 + Verb to say “not yet.” Don’t add 了 after 没.

过 (guo): “Have ever” experience

Use 过 to talk about life experiences.

• 我去过北京。 I have been to Beijing.
• 你吃过四川菜吗？ Have you ever eaten Sichuan food?

Negation: 没(有) + Verb + 过

• 我没去过北京。 I haven’t been to Beijing.

着 (zhe): Ongoing state

Use 着 after a verb to show a state that continues.

• 门开着。 The door is (staying) open.
• 老师站着。 The teacher is standing.
• 她笑着说话。 She speaks while smiling.

墙上挂一张照片。

你中国菜吗？

我去年去过北京。 → 我去年去了北京。 Use 了 (completed event) with specific time words like 去年/昨天. 过 is for general life experience without specific times. 门开了着。 → 门开着。 Don’t combine 了 and 着 on the same verb. 着 shows the door’s ongoing state. 我没了买书。 → 我没买书。 Negate completed actions with 没(有) + Verb. Do not use 了 in a negative sentence.

Quick recap

• 了: completed action (买了、去了) or change of state (下雨了、我饿了). Negation: 没(有) + Verb.
• 过: life experience (去过、吃过). Negation: 没(有) + Verb + 过. No specific time words.
• 着: ongoing state (开着、穿着、站着). Negation: 没(有) + Verb + 着 (or plain negation).

Cultural tip: In daily talk, sentence-final 了 often announces a change — like 下雨了 (It started raining) or 我到家了 (I arrived home). 过 is handy in small talk to share experiences: 你去过上海吗？ 着 helps you paint a scene: 店里人很多，大家都站着等。

Practice these patterns with simple verbs (买、去、看、吃、穿、开) and add time words. You’ll quickly sound more natural when telling stories, sharing experiences, and describing what’s going on.

Try it in real life

• At a restaurant: 我点了饺子。你吃过酸辣汤吗？
• In a chat: 我到家了。你看过那部新电影吗？
• Describing a scene: 门开着，里面有人。

Keep noticing these markers in shows, chats, and signs. A little practice every day goes a long way — 加油! (You’ve got this!)