了 vs 过 vs 着: three aspect particles
了 (le) marks completed actions, 过 (guò) indicates experience at least once, and 着 (zhe) describes an ongoing state or action. Choosing the correct particle depends on whether you focus on completion, experience, or duration.
了, 过, and 着 are the three main aspect particles in Mandarin Chinese, each conveying a different temporal viewpoint. 了 (le) indicates that an action is completed or a change has occurred. 过 (guò) expresses that an action has been experienced at least once in the past. 着 (zhe) describes a continuous or ongoing state, often for background actions. While they can sometimes appear together (e.g., 吃过了), they are typically mutually exclusive based on the speaker's focus.
When to use each
Use 了 to mark an action as completed, often in the past. It can also indicate a change of state or a new situation. 了 is placed immediately after the verb, or at the end of a sentence for modal nuances.
In addition to the verb suffix 了 (le), there is a sentence-final 了 (le) that signals a change of state or a 'currently relevant state'. This page focuses on the verb suffix use for comparison.
Use 过 to indicate that an action has been experienced at least once in the past, without specifying when. It emphasizes the fact of having done something, often with the meaning 'have the experience of'. 过 is placed after the verb.
过 can also be used with future or hypothetical contexts (e.g., 要是你吃过...), but the core meaning remains experiential.
Use 着 to describe an ongoing state or a duration that results from an action. It is commonly used for background actions when another action occurs (e.g., 站着说话) or to indicate a state that continues (e.g., 门开着). 着 is placed after the verb.
着 is not used with action verbs that are inherently instantaneous (e.g., 死 'die') unless a resulting state is intended. Also, 着 cannot be used with the progressive marker 正在 or 在 in the same clause.
At a glance
| 了 | 过 | 着 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core meaning | Action completion | Past experience | Ongoing state |
| Negation | 没(有) + verb (no 了) | 没(有) + verb + 过 | 没(有) + verb + 着 (rare; more common: 没在 + verb) |
| Question form | Verb + 了没有？/ Verb + 了 吗？ | Verb + 过 没有？/ Verb + 没 + verb + 过？ | Verb + 着 吗？ / 在 + verb + 吗？ |
| Time association | Past or immediate past (completion) | Any time (experience, often past) | Present (ongoing state) |
| Combination possibility | Can combine with 过 (e.g., 吃过了) | Can combine with 了 (e.g., 吃过了) | Does not combine with 了 or 过 in same clause |
Examples
- 了他吃了饭。Tā chī le fàn.He ate (the meal).Completion of the action 'eating'.
- 过他去过北京。Tā qù guò Běijīng.He has been to Beijing (before).Experience: he has visited Beijing at least once.
- 着门开着。Mén kāi zhe.The door is open.State resulting from an action; ongoing.
- 过我看过这部电影。Wǒ kàn guò zhè bù diànyǐng.I have seen this movie before.Opposed to 了: if you say 我看了这部电影, it emphasizes the completion of watching, not the experience.
- 着我们吃着饭聊天。Wǒmen chī zhe fàn liáotiān.We chatted while eating.着 indicates the ongoing background action (eating) while another action (chatting) occurs.
- 了他做了作业。Tā zuò le zuòyè.He did his homework.Completion; compare to 他做过作业, which would mean 'he has done homework (before, as an experience)'.
Common mistakes
- Using 了 to express past experience (e.g., 我去了北京 to mean 'I have been to Beijing' — wrong; use 过).
- Using 过 to describe an ongoing state (e.g., 门开着过 — incorrect; 过 cannot express a current state).
- Omitting 着 when describing a state that continues (e.g., 门开 to mean 'the door is open' — missing 着).
- Using 了 in negative sentences (e.g., 我没吃了 — wrong; negate with 没(有) and omit 了).
- Using 着 with instantaneous verbs that don't imply a resulting state (e.g., 他死着 — incorrect; use 了他死了 for completed action).
FAQ
- When do I use 了 vs 过?
- Use 了 to emphasize that an action is completed, often recently. Use 过 to emphasize that an action has been experienced at least once in the past. For example, 我看了这本书 means 'I finished reading this book', while 我看过这本书 means 'I have read this book before (at some point)'. If you just want to say you have finished reading, use 了; if you want to mention the experience, use 过.
- When do I use 着 vs 了?
- Use 着 for ongoing states or actions that are continuing or serving as background. Use 了 for completed actions. For example, 门开着 means 'the door is open (state)', while 门开了 means 'the door opened (action completed)'. If you want to describe something that is currently happening as a state, use 着; if you want to say the action has finished, use 了.
- Can I use 过 and 了 together?
- Yes, you can combine 过 and 了 to emphasize both experience and completion, often in the form 动+过+了. For example, 我去过北京了 means 'I have been to Beijing (and now I'm back, maybe recently)'. This is common in spoken Chinese.
- How do I ask a question with 过 in an A-not-A form?
- The standard A-not-A form for 过 is 'verb + 没 + verb + 过' or 'verb + 过 + 没有'. For example, 你去过北京没有？ or 你去没去过北京？ Both mean 'Have you been to Beijing?'.