Grammar Topic

Aspect Particles in Chinese Grammar

Pick the particle that matches how the action relates to time: completed, changed, experienced, in progress, or continuing as a state.

Choose the structure by meaning

Chinese aspect particles do not work like English tense. Choose the meaning first, then open the pattern.

An event happened or finished

我吃了饭。

Wǒ chī le fàn.

I ate.

Verb + 了

[VERB] le...

我吃了饭。

Wǒ chī le fàn.

I ate.

A new situation has appeared

天气变冷了。

Tiānqì biàn lěng le.

The weather has turned cold.

Topic + 变 + 了

biàn le

天气变冷了。

Tiānqì biàn lěng le.

The weather has turned cold.

Someone has had an experience before

我去过北京。

Wǒ qù guo Běijīng.

I have been to Beijing.

Verb + 过

[VERB] guo

我去过北京。

Wǒ qù guo Běijīng.

I have been to Beijing.

An action is happening right now

我正在看书。

Wǒ zhèngzài kàn shū.

I am reading right now.

正在 + Verb

zhèngzài [VERB]

我正在看书。

Wǒ zhèngzài kàn shū.

I am reading right now.

A posture or result keeps continuing

门开着。

Mén kāi zhe.

The door is open.

Verb + 着

[VERB] zhe

门开着。

Mén kāi zhe.

The door is open.

Common mix-ups

了 for completion vs change

le for completion vs change

了 can close an event or mark that the situation is now different. Read the whole sentence, not only the particle.

吃了饭 = ate; 变冷了 = became cold.

chī le fàn; biàn lěng le

了 vs 过

le vs guo

了 points to an event or change. 过 says the experience has happened at least once before.

我去了 = I went; 我去过 = I have been there before.

wǒ qù le; wǒ qù guo

在 / 正在 vs 着

zài / zhèngzài vs zhe

在 and 正在 show an action in progress. 着 often freezes the result or posture as a continuing state.

正在看书 = reading now; 门开着 = the door is open.

zhèngzài kàn shū; mén kāi zhe

Looking for a specific aspect particle?

Open the full reference when you need the exact particle pattern.

Browse all aspect-particle patterns (13)

Completion and change

7 patterns

太 + Adjective + 了tài [ADJ] leHSK 1

Reach for this when you want to express strong feeling about a quality — 'so/too [adjective]!' It's the go-to exclamation in Chinese.HSK 1

Verb + 了[VERB] le...HSK 1

Reach for Verb + 了 when you want to say an action has been completed.HSK 1

不再是...而是...bú zài shì... ér shì...HSK 5-6

Reach for this when you want to mark a change of state — 'no longer A, but now B.' The 不再 specifies that A used to be true; 而是 introduces what's true now.HSK 5-6

Subject + Verb + Object(no fixed words)HSK 1

Reach for this from your very first day.HSK 1

Topic + 变 + 了biàn leHSK 1

Reach for this when you want to say something has changed — the store, the weather, a person, a situation.HSK 1

不再...了bù zài... leHSK 1

Use 不再……了 when something used to be true but isn't anymore — 'no longer,' 'not anymore.' It marks a change of state: people used to be afraid, now they aren't (人们不再害怕了).HSK 1

已经...了yǐjīng... leHSK 1

Reach for this when you want to say something has 'already' happened or reached a state.HSK 1

Experience

1 patterns

Verb + 过[VERB] guoHSK 1

Stick 过 right after a verb to say you've done that thing at least once in your life — 我去过北京 (I've been to Beijing), 你吃过饺子吗？(Have you ever eaten dumplings?).HSK 1

Ongoing action

4 patterns

正在 + Verbzhèngzài [VERB]HSK 1

Reach for this when you want to say something is happening RIGHT NOW, in the middle of unfolding — the Chinese present continuous.HSK 1

Subject + 在 + Verbzài [VERB]...HSK 1

Reach for 在 + Verb when you want to say something is happening right now — 'I'm watching TV,' 'they're singing,' 'the cat is sleeping.' It's the most common way to mark an ongoing action in Mandarin, equivalent to English '-ing' in the present continuous.HSK 1

在 + Verbzài [VERB]...HSK 1

Reach for 在 + Verb to say an action is happening right now.HSK 1

Subject + 在 + Verb + ObjectzàiHSK 1

Reach for this when you want to say someone is in the middle of doing something right now — 'is V-ing,' the present continuous.HSK 1

Continuing state