Expressing experiences with "guo"

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

Basic Pattern

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

Some examples of how 过 is typically used:

  • 我 去 中国。I have been to China.
  • 他 吃 小笼包。He has eaten steamed dumplings.
  • 你 看 那 个 人 吗?Have you seen that person?

Negating a 过 sentence

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

Subject + 没 + Verb + 过 + Object

Some examples:

  • 中国。I have not been to China.
  • 这 首 歌。He has not heard this song.
  • 这 种 啤酒。You have not tasted this kind of beer.

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.

Sources and further reading

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