Aspect Particles
In Mandarin, aspect particles attach to verbs to show how an action unfolds in time, such as whether it is completed, ongoing, or a past experience. These short particles guide listeners on the speaker's perspective of the event.
了 / 过 / 着
了 (le) marks completed actions or changes, 过 (guò) signals past experiences, and 着 (zhe) indicates ongoing states or attachments. Each serves a different aspectual function.
了 (le)
Use 了 (le) after a verb to show the action is finished or to highlight a change. 它常出现在具体时间点之后。
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过 (guò)
过 (guò) attaches to a verb to express that someone has had the experience of doing something, 不强调具体时间，强调经历。
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着 (zhe)
着 (zhe) 用来表示动作持续或状态保持，often used when something remains in place or an action is ongoing.
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Practical Examples
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌟 我吃了饭。 | Wǒ chī le fàn. | I have eaten. | Completed action. |
| 🛫 我去过上海。 | Wǒ qù guò Shànghǎi. | I have been to Shanghai. | Experiential aspect. |
| 💼 他还着电脑工作。 | Tā zhe diànnǎo gōngzuò. | He is working with the computer on. | Ongoing state. |
| 🏮 我看了昨晚的灯会。 | Wǒ kàn le zuówǎn de dēnghuì. | I watched last night’s lantern festival. | Past event. |
| 🍜 我吃过那家有名的面馆。 | Wǒ chī guò nà jiā yǒumíng de miànguǎn. | I’ve eaten at that famous noodle shop. | Tried before. |
| 🐉 灯笼着火了，大家赶紧撤。 | Dēnglóng zhe huǒ le, dàjiā gǎnjǐn chè. | The lantern caught fire, everyone hurried away. | Ongoing and completed. |
Summary
Aspect particles like 了 (le), 过 (guò) and 着 (zhe) give speakers precise ways to describe timing and nature of actions. 了 highlights completion or change, 过强调经历，着表示持续状态。掌握它们让表达更自然准确。
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025