Difference between revisions of "Aspect particle "zhe""

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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
The particle 着 (zhe) is one way of indicating the ''continuous aspect'' in Mandarin Chinese (another common way is [[Expressing actions in progress|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.
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The particle 着 (zhe) is one way of indicating the ''continuous aspect'' in Mandarin Chinese (another common way is [[Expressing actions in progress|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 commonly used, and can also be quite idiomatic.
  
 
== Basic Usage ==
 
== Basic Usage ==
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 +
The main idea here is that the action won't just happen and stop immediately; it will continue for a while.
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
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=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
 +
 +
This basic pattern is often used with commands involving certain verbs where the action persists for a while.
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*我 读 ,你 听 <em>着</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ dú, nǐ tīng <em>zhe</em>.</span><span class="trans">I'll read, and you will listen.</span>
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*我 读 ,你 听 <em>着</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ dú, nǐ tīng <em>zhe</em>.</span><span class="trans">I'll read, and you listen.</span>
*我们 做 ,你们 看 <em>着</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen zuò, nǐmen kàn <em>zhe</em>.</span><span class="trans">We will do it, and you will watch.</span>
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*我们 做 ,你们 看 <em>着</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen zuò, nǐmen kàn <em>zhe</em>.</span><span class="trans">We will do it, and you all watch.</span>
*你们 坐 <em>着</em> ,我 马上 回来 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen zuò <em>zhe</em>, wǒ mǎshàng huílái.</span><span class="trans">Sit here. I'll be right back.</span>
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*你们 坐 <em>着</em> ,我 马上 回来 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen zuò <em>zhe</em>, wǒ mǎshàng huílái.</span><span class="trans">Sit for a while. I'll be right back.</span>
 
*我 出去 一下 ,你 帮 我 看 <em>着</em> 行李 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ chūqù yīxià, nǐ bāng wǒ kān <em>zhe</em> xíngli.</span><span class="trans">I'll go out for a second, and you watch the luggage for me.</span>
 
*我 出去 一下 ,你 帮 我 看 <em>着</em> 行李 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ chūqù yīxià, nǐ bāng wǒ kān <em>zhe</em> xíngli.</span><span class="trans">I'll go out for a second, and you watch the luggage for me.</span>
  
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== Used for Manner or State in which an Action is Performed ==
 
== Used for Manner or State in which an Action is Performed ==
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This pattern is used when you want to use one verb to describe how ''another'' action is performed.
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
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</div>
 
</div>
  
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.
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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 for the state.
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*她 喜欢 站 <em>着</em> 吃饭 。<span class="expl">"standing + eat = eating while standing"</span><span class="pinyin">Tā xǐhuan zhàn <em>zhe</em> chīfàn.</span>
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*她 喜欢 站 <em>着</em> 吃饭 。<span class="expl">"standing + eat = eating while standing"</span><span class="pinyin">Tā xǐhuan zhàn <em>zhe</em> chīfàn.</span><span class="trans">She likes to eat standing up.</span>
*他 笑 <em>着</em> 说 “对不起” 。<span class="expl">"smiling + say = saying "I'm sorry" while smiling</span><span class="pinyin">Tā xiào <em>zhe</em> shuō "duìbuqǐ".</span>
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*他 笑 <em>着</em> 说 “对不起” 。<span class="expl">"smiling + say = saying "I'm sorry" while smiling</span><span class="pinyin">Tā xiào <em>zhe</em> shuō "duìbuqǐ".</span><span class="trans">Smiling, he said, "I'm sorry."</span>
*孩子 抱 <em>着</em> 爸爸 哭 了 起来 。<span class="expl">"hugging + cry = crying while hugging</span><span class="pinyin">Háizi bào <em>zhe</em> bàba kū le qǐlái.</span>
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*孩子 抱 <em>着</em> 爸爸 哭 了 起来 。<span class="expl">"hugging + cry = crying while hugging</span><span class="pinyin">Háizi bào <em>zhe</em> bàba kū le qǐlái.</span><span class="trans">Hugging his daddy, the child started to cry.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
'''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 [[Simultaneous tasks with "yibian"|一边⋯⋯,一边⋯⋯]].
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'''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 [[Simultaneous tasks with "yibian"|一边⋯⋯,一边⋯⋯ (yībiān..., yībiān...)]].
  
 
== Used for Continuous State ==
 
== Used for Continuous State ==
  
While it's true that the "[[Expressing actions in progress (full form)|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:
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While it's true that the "[[Expressing actions in progress (full form)|full progressive pattern]]" can make use of 着, this is not a pattern you're going to want to use all the time.  
 +
 
 +
=== Usage Examples ===
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 +
The verbs most commonly used with 着 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."
 
*开 (kāi) alone can mean "to open" or "to turn on." Adding 着 allows one to express that something "is open" or "is on."
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*关 (guān) alone can mean "to close" or "to turn off." Adding 着 allows one to express that something "is closed" or "is off."
 
*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).
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*穿 (chuān) alone means "to wear." Adding 着 allows one to express that one "is wearing" 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).
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*戴 (dài) alone means "to wear" (an accessory). Adding 着 allows one to express that one "is wearing" a hat, jewelry, or accessory (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."
 
*躺 (tǎng) alone means "to lie on one's back." Adding 着 allows one to express that someone "is lying down."
  
=== Examples ===
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=== Sentence Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
 
<ul>
 
<ul>
<li class="o">公司 的 门 开 <em>着</em> ,可是 没 人 在 。<span class="expl">"Being on" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)</span><span class="pinyin">Gōngsī de mén kāi <em>zhe</em>, kěshì méi rén zài.</span><span class="trans">The company's door is open but no one is in there.</span></li>
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<li class="o">公司 的 门 开 <em>着</em> ,可是 没 人 在 。<span class="expl">"Being open" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)</span><span class="pinyin">Gōngsī de mén kāi <em>zhe</em>, kěshì méi rén zài.</span><span class="trans">The office door is open but no one is in there.</span></li>
 
<li class="x">公司 的 门 <em>在</em> 开 ,可是 没 人 在 。<span class="expl">"Being open" is not an action, so don't use 在.)</span><span class="pinyin">Gōngsī de mén <em>zài</em> kāi, kěshì méi rén zài.</span></li>
 
<li class="x">公司 的 门 <em>在</em> 开 ,可是 没 人 在 。<span class="expl">"Being open" is not an action, so don't use 在.)</span><span class="pinyin">Gōngsī de mén <em>zài</em> kāi, kěshì méi rén zài.</span></li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
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<ul>
 
<ul>
<li class="o">躺 <em>着</em> 最 舒服 。<span class="expl">"Lying here" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)</span><span class="pinyin">Tǎng <em>zhe</em> zuì shūfu.</span><span class="trans">It makes me most comfortable just lying there.</span></li>
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<li class="o">躺 <em>着</em> 最 舒服 。<span class="expl">"Lying down" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)</span><span class="pinyin">Tǎng <em>zhe</em> zuì shūfu.</span><span class="trans">It's most comfortable just lying down.</span></li>
 
<li class="x"><em>在</em> 躺 最 舒服 。<span class="expl">"Lying here" is not strictly an action, so don't use 在.)</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Zài</em> tǎng zuì shūfu.</span></li>
 
<li class="x"><em>在</em> 躺 最 舒服 。<span class="expl">"Lying here" is not strictly an action, so don't use 在.)</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Zài</em> tǎng zuì shūfu.</span></li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
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</div>
 
</div>
  
== Colloquial Saying ==
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== Colloquial Sayings ==
  
Certain verbs tend to take 着 more frequently than others, and exactly what the 着 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.
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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 set phrases.
  
Examples of this usage:
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=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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</div>
 
</div>
  
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:
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=== Verb + 着 + 玩 "For Fun" ===
 +
 
 +
There's also one colloquial usage of 着 that's often chosen for special treatment by Chinese textbooks, so we'll cover it here as well:
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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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."
 
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:
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=== Examples of Verb + 着 + 玩  ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
 
*你 不要 生气 ,我 是 说 <em>着</em> 玩 的 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ bùyào shēngqì, wǒ shì shuō <em>zhe</em> wán de!</span><span class="trans">Don't be mad. I was just joking.</span>
 
*你 不要 生气 ,我 是 说 <em>着</em> 玩 的 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ bùyào shēngqì, wǒ shì shuō <em>zhe</em> wán de!</span><span class="trans">Don't be mad. I was just joking.</span>
*我 听不懂 英文 歌 ,只 是 听 <em>着</em> 玩 的 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ tīng bu dǒng Yīngwén gē, zhǐshì tīng <em>zhe</em> wán de.</span><span class="trans">I don't understand English songs. I listen just for fun.</span>
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*我 听不懂 英文 歌 ,只 是 听 <em>着</em> 玩 的 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ tīng bu dǒng Yīngwén gē, zhǐshì tīng <em>zhe</em> wán de.</span><span class="trans">I don't understand English songs. I just listen to them for fun.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
 +
{{Source|HSK Standard Course 2|100}}
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 3|32}}
 
{{Source|A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) |414 - 423}}  
 
{{Source|A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) |414 - 423}}  
 
{{Source|Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition|89}}
 
{{Source|Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition|89}}
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[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK2}}{{2021-HSK|HSK2}}
 +
{{HSK|HSK3}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|着|B1|Verb + 着|我 读 ,你 听 <em>着</em> 。|grammar point|ASGOIDEO}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|着|B1|Verb + 着|我 读 ,你 听 <em>着</em> 。|grammar point|ASGOIDEO}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing actions in progress}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing actions in progress}}

Latest revision as of 08:56, 21 April 2021

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 commonly used, and can also be quite idiomatic.

Basic Usage

The main 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 Wǒ dú, nǐ tīng zhe.I'll read, and you listen.
  • 我们 做 ,你们 看 Wǒmen zuò, nǐmen kàn zhe.We will do it, and you all watch.
  • 你们 坐 ,我 马上 回来 。Nǐmen zuò zhe, wǒ mǎshàng huílái.Sit for a while. I'll be right back.
  • 我 出去 一下 ,你 帮 我 看 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

This pattern is used when you want to use one verb to describe how another 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 for the state.

Examples

  • 她 喜欢 站 吃饭 。"standing + eat = eating while standing"Tā xǐhuan zhàn zhe chīfàn.She likes to eat standing up.
  • 他 笑 说 “对不起” 。"smiling + say = saying "I'm sorry" while smilingTā xiào zhe shuō "duìbuqǐ".Smiling, he said, "I'm sorry."
  • 孩子 抱 爸爸 哭 了 起来 。"hugging + cry = crying while huggingHáizi bào zhe bàba kū le qǐlái.Hugging his daddy, the child started to cry.

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⋯⋯ (yībiān..., yībiān...).

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.

Usage Examples

The verbs most commonly used with 着 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" something (on one's person).
  • 戴 (dài) alone means "to wear" (an accessory). Adding 着 allows one to express that one "is wearing" a hat, jewelry, or accessory (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."

Sentence Examples

  • 公司 的 门 开 ,可是 没 人 在 。"Being open" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)Gōngsī de mén kāi zhe, kěshì méi rén zài.The office door is open but no one is in there.
  • 公司 的 门 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 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.
  • 穿 一 条 小 黑 裙 。"Be wearing" is not an action, so don't use 在.)zài chuān yī tiáo xiǎo hēi qún.
  • 最 舒服 。"Lying down" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)Tǎng zhe zuì shūfu.It's most comfortable just lying down.
  • 躺 最 舒服 。"Lying here" is not strictly an action, so don't use 在.)Zài tǎng zuì shūfu.

Colloquial Sayings

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 set phrases.

Examples

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

Verb + 着 + 玩 "For Fun"

There's also one colloquial usage of 着 that's often chosen for special treatment by Chinese textbooks, 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 Verb + 着 + 玩

  • 你 不要 生气 ,我 是 说 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 玩 的 。Wǒ tīng bu dǒng Yīngwén gē, zhǐshì tīng zhe wán de.I don't understand English songs. I just listen to them for fun.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites