Difference between revisions of "Expressing experiences with "guo""

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The [[aspect particle]] 过 (guo) is used to indicate that an '''action has been experienced''' in the past.  
 
The [[aspect particle]] 过 (guo) is used to indicate that an '''action has been experienced''' in the past.  
  

Revision as of 04:52, 26 November 2013

The aspect particle 过 (guo) is used to indicate that an action has been experienced in the past.

Basic Pattern

Structure

Subject + Verb + 过 + Object

What this expresses is that the verb has been done at least once before, without specifying a particular time. 过 is used to talk about whether something has ever happened - whether it has been experienced.

Examples

In English, if you're asking a question and really trying to figure out if someone has ever done something before, we tend to use the words "ever" and "before." In Chinese, 过 alone expresses this, without the need for additional words.

Some examples of how 过 is typically used:

  • 我 去 中国。I have been to China.
  • 我 吃 小笼包。He has eaten steamed dumplings.
  • 你 见 那 个 人 吗?Have you seen that person before?
  • 我 做 这样 的 工作。I have done work like this before.
  • 你 自己 做 饭 吗?Have you ever cooked for yourself?
  • 你 学 中文?Have you ever studied Chinese?
  • 我 看 这 个 电影 吗?Have you seen this movie?

Negating a 过 sentence

Because 过 is used to talk about past actions, it should be negated with 没.

Structure

The structure is:

Subject + 没 + Verb + 过 + Object

Examples

Note that when you translate these examples into English, "have never" [done something] is often more natural, indicating that someone lacks the experience of having done something, rather than just "have not" [done something].

Some examples:

  • 中国。I have never been to China.
  • 这 首 歌。He has not heard this song.
  • 这 种 啤酒。You have not tasted this kind of beer.
  • 我 妈妈 没 用 电脑。My mom has never used a computer before.
  • 我 没 谈 恋爱。I have never been in a relationship.

Using 过 with 了

You'll sometimes see 过 used together with 了. This can be a little confusing, as it doesn't seeing to be following the rules laid out above. For more on this special usage of 过, see the article on using 过 with 了.

See Also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites