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.

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 (guo) 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 (guo) alone expresses this, without the need for additional words.

Some examples of how 过 (guo) is typically used:

  • 我 去 中国。I have been to China.
  • 他 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?
  • 你 看 这 个 电影 吗?Have you seen this movie?
  • 我 学 这 个 词。I have studied this word.
  • 我 用 电脑,我 会 用。I have used a computer before, I can use it.
  • 我 买 这里 的 巧克力,不 好吃。I have bought the chocolate here, it's not good.

Negating a 过 sentence

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

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.
  • 他 的 歌。He has not heard his song.
  • 这 种 啤酒。You have not tasted this kind of beer.
  • 我 妈妈 电脑。My mom has never used a computer before.
  • 小笼包。He has not eaten steamed dumplings.
  • 中文?Have you not ever studied Chinese?
  • 电影 吗?Have you seen movie?
  • 这 个 词。I haven't studied this word.
  • 那 个 人 吗?Haven't you seen that person?
  • 这样 的 工作。I have never done this kind of work.

Using 过 with 了

You'll sometimes see 过 (guo) used together with 了 (le). 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 (guo), see the article on using 过 (guo) with 了 (le).

See Also

Sources and further reading

Books

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