Aspect particle "zhe"

The particle 着 (zhe) is one way of indicating the continuous aspect in Mandarin Chinese (another common way is using the adverb 在 in front of verbs). You may have heard that the Chinese particle 着 added onto the end of verbs is similar to the use of -ing in English. This isn't particularly helpful, however, because the use of 着 in Chinese is not nearly so frequent and can also be quite idiomatic.

Basic Usage

The idea here is that the action won't just happen and stop immediately; it will continue for a while.

Structure

Verb + 着

Examples

This basic pattern is often used with commands involving certain verbs where the action persists for a while.

• 我 读 ，你 听 着 。Wǒ dú, nǐ tīng zhe.I'll read, and you will listen.
• 我们 做 ，你们 看 着 。Wǒmen zuò, nǐmen kàn zhe.We will do it, and you will watch.
• 你们 坐 着 ，我 马上 回来 。Nǐmen zuò zhe, wǒ mǎshàng huílái.Sit here. I'll be right back.
• 我 出去 一下 ，你 帮 我 看 着 行李 。Wǒ chūqù yīxià, nǐ bāng wǒ kān zhe xíngli.I'll go out for a second, and you watch the luggage for me.

Used for Manner or State in which an Action is Performed

Structure

Verb 1 + 着 + Verb 2

Note that the first verb (followed by 着) describes the state; the second verb is the action verb. In this case, the "-ing" translation can be useful.

Examples

• 她 喜欢 站 着 吃饭 。"standing + eat = eating while standing"Tā xǐhuan zhàn zhe chīfàn.
• 他 笑 着 说 “对不起” 。"smiling + say = saying "I'm sorry" while smilingTā xiào zhe shuō "duìbuqǐ".
• 孩子 抱 着 爸爸 哭 了 起来 。"hugging + cry = crying while huggingHáizi bào zhe bàba kū le qǐlái.

Note: If you want to make a sentence where both verbs are action verbs (neither is truly a state), then you don't want this pattern; you want 一边⋯⋯，一边⋯⋯.

Used for Continuous State

While it's true that the "full progressive pattern" can make use of 着, this is not a pattern you're going to want to use all the time. The most commonly used verbs are the ones below:

• 开 (kāi) alone can mean "to open" or "to turn on." Adding 着 allows one to express that something "is open" or "is on."

• 关 (guān) alone can mean "to close" or "to turn off." Adding 着 allows one to express that something "is closed" or "is off."

• 穿 (chuān) alone means "to wear." Adding 着 allows one to express that one "is wearing" or "has" something (on one's person).

• 戴 (dài) alone means "to wear." Adding 着 allows one to express that one "is wearing" or "has" something (on one's person).

• 躺 (tǎng) alone means "to lie on one's back." Adding 着 allows one to express that someone "is lying down."

Examples

• 公司 的 门 开 着 ，可是 没 人 在 。"Being on" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)Gōngsī de mén kāi zhe, kěshì méi rén zài.The company's door is open but no one is in there.
• 公司 的 门 在 开 ，可是 没 人 在 。"Being open" is not an action, so don't use 在.)Gōngsī de mén zài kāi, kěshì méi rén zài.

• 她 穿 着 一 条 小 黑 裙 。"Be wearing" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)Tā chuān zhe yī tiáo xiǎo hēi qún.She's wearing a little black dress.
• 她 在 穿 一 条 小 黑 裙 。"Be wearing" is not an action, so don't use 在.)Tā zài chuān yī tiáo xiǎo hēi qún.

• 躺 着 最 舒服 。"Lying here" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)Tǎng zhe zuì shūfu.It makes me most comfortable just lying there.
• 在 躺 最 舒服 。"Lying here" is not strictly an action, so don't use 在.)Zài tǎng zuì shūfu.

Colloquial Saying

Certain verbs tend to take 着 more frequently than others, and what the 着 exactly is doing might not be apparent at all. It's best to think of these usages as colloquialisms. You can even think of them as set phrases.

Examples of this usage:

• 听 着 ! "to listen and keep listening"Tīng zhe!
• 别 客气 ，拿 着 吧 。"to take and keep it"Bié kèqi, ná zhe ba.
• 你们 等 着 ! "to wait and keeping waiting"Nǐmen děng zhe!

There's also one colloquial usage of 着 that's been chosen by at least one textbook for special treatment, so we'll cover it here as well:

Subj. + 是 + Verb + 着 + 玩 + 的

This pattern may look like that "doing an action in a particular state" pattern already covered above, but in practice it doesn't really work that way. It just means "[Verb] for fun" or "[Verb] as a joke."

Examples of this usage:

• 你 不要 生气 ，我 是 说 着 玩 的 。Nǐ bùyào shēngqì, wǒ shì shuō zhe wán de!Don't be mad. I was just joking.
• 我 听不懂 英文 歌 ，只 是 听 着 玩 的 。Wǒ tīng bu dǒng Yīngwén gē, zhǐshì tīng zhe wán de.I don't understand English songs. I listen just for fun.

See also

• Expressing actions in progress
• Expressing actions in progress (full form)

Sources and further reading

Books

• A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 414 - 423) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 89) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 217 - 225) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 242-3) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 17) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 238-9) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (pp. 255) [ →buy]

Websites

• About.com: Mandarin Chinese Aspect
• ChinesePod: Qing Wen - The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: How We Verb (free content)
• ChinesePod: Qing Wen - The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: Actions in Progress (free content)
• ChinesePod: Qing Wen - The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: Verbs as States (free content)