Aspect ≠ tense: verbs never conjugate
Chinese verbs never change form for tense. Four aspect markers show HOW an action unfolds, while time words (昨天, 以后) show WHEN: 了 (le) completion or change of state; 过 (guò) past experience; 在/正在 (zài/zhèngzài) in progress; 着 (zhe) a continuing state. 了 has two positions: after the verb (completion) or sentence-final (change of state). Example: 他吃了晚饭就去跑步了。(Tā chī le wǎnfàn jiù qù pǎobù le.) — After finishing dinner he went jogging (first 了 completed; second new situation).
过 marks experience (negate with 没)
过 (guò) answers "have you ever...?", not "did you...on that occasion?" (which 了 answers). Negate with 没(有)……过, ask with ……过吗 (你去过日本吗？ — Have you ever been to Japan?). Example: 我去过北京，但是没去过上海。(Wǒ qùguò Běijīng, dànshì méi qùguò Shànghǎi.) — I have been to Beijing, but never to Shanghai. Contrast: 我去了北京 reports one completed trip; 我去过北京 frames Beijing as part of the speaker's experience.
在/正在 (in progress) vs 着 (a state)
在/正在 before a verb show an action happening now, often with sentence-final 呢: 他正在打电话呢。(Tā zhèngzài dǎ diànhuà ne.) — He is on the phone right now. 着 marks a continuing state or the manner of another action: 门开着。(Mén kāizhe.) — The door is open. 他站着说话。(Tā zhànzhe shuōhuà.) — He talks while standing. 墙上挂着一张地图。 — A map hangs on the wall. Dynamic action vs static state — swapping them changes the meaning.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
了 wrongly added to a habitual action
了 marks a specific completed event or a change of state, never a routine. Habitual words like 每天 (měitiān) or 常常 (chángcháng) must NOT take 了. ✗ 我每天都吃了早饭。 ✓ 我每天都吃早饭。(Wǒ měitiān dōu chī zǎofàn.) — I eat breakfast every day. Report a single instance and 了 returns: 今天我已经吃了早饭。(Jīntiān wǒ yǐjīng chī le zǎofàn.) — I have already eaten breakfast today.
Aspect precision is a syllabus-rewarded second-language trap the digest grounds as G3 without a numbered report item (general FL trap).
Using 了 for "ever", or 过 negated with 不
了 only reports a completed occasion; "have you EVER done this" needs 过. ✗ 你吃北京烤鸭了吗？(only asks whether it happened) ✓ 你吃过北京烤鸭吗？(Nǐ chīguò Běijīng kǎoyā ma?) — Have you ever eaten Peking duck? Separately, 过 is negated ONLY with 没(有), never 不. ✗ 我不去过美国。 ✓ 我没去过美国。(Wǒ méi qùguò Měiguó.) — I have never been to America.
Aspect precision is a syllabus-rewarded second-language trap the digest grounds as G3 without a numbered report item (general FL trap).
在 used for a state that needs 着
在/正在 describe a dynamic action unfolding; 着 describes the resulting state that continues. ✗ 门在开。(implies someone is opening it now) ✓ 门开着。(Mén kāizhe.) — The door is open. The same contrast holds for holding and wearing: 拿着 (holding, a continuing state) versus 在拿 (in the act of picking something up).
Aspect precision is a syllabus-rewarded second-language trap the digest grounds as G3 without a numbered report item (general FL trap).
Clashing 正在 and 了 in one clause
The progressive 正在/在 and the completive 了 describe opposite aspects, so they do not sit in the same clause. ✗ 他昨天正在跑了步。 ✓ 他昨天跑步了。(Tā zuótiān pǎobù le.) — He went jogging yesterday. To keep an in-progress idea, split it into a separate clause: 他昨天跑步的时候摔倒了。(Tā zuótiān pǎobù de shíhou shuāidǎo le.) — While jogging yesterday he fell.
Aspect precision is a syllabus-rewarded second-language trap the digest grounds as G3 without a numbered report item (general FL trap).
过 where a specific occasion needs 了
过 frames an unspecified life experience, so it clashes with a specific time-and-place occasion, which takes 了. ✗ 我昨天下午三点去过图书馆。(a fixed time wants a completed event) ✓ 我昨天下午三点去了图书馆。(Wǒ zuótiān xiàwǔ sān diǎn qù le túshūguǎn.) — I went to the library at 3pm yesterday. Reserve 过 for 我去过图书馆 (I have been to a library before).
Aspect precision is a syllabus-rewarded second-language trap the digest grounds as G3 without a numbered report item (general FL trap).
Keeping 了 after 没 in a negative
A completed action negated with 没(有) DROPS 了 — 没 already conveys that it did not happen or complete. ✗ 我没吃了早饭。 ✓ 我没吃早饭。(Wǒ méi chī zǎofàn.) — I did not eat breakfast. Likewise with 还没: ✓ 我还没做完作业。(Wǒ hái méi zuò wán zuòyè.) — I have not finished my homework yet. Keep 了 only in the affirmative completed form (吃了).
Aspect precision is a syllabus-rewarded second-language trap the digest grounds as G3 without a numbered report item (general FL trap).
了 simply means past tense
Learners add 了 to every past action, treating it as an English past tense. In fact 了 marks COMPLETION or a CHANGE OF STATE, not tense, and is NOT used with habits (每天/常常). ✗ 我以前每天都吃了早饭。 ✓ 我以前每天都吃早饭。(Wǒ yǐqián měitiān dōu chī zǎofàn.) — I used to eat breakfast every day. But a one-off event DOES take 了: 我昨天吃了早饭。(Wǒ zuótiān chī le zǎofàn.) — I ate breakfast yesterday.
Aspect-versus-tense is named directly by the digest as a general second-language trap the syllabus rewards, grounded without a numbered report item (general FL trap).
在/正在 and 着 are both just "-ing"
Both can gloss as "-ing", so learners swap them. 在/正在 mark a DYNAMIC action unfolding now (他在笑。 — He is laughing); 着 marks a STATE or the MANNER of another action (他笑着说话。 — He speaks while smiling). Swapping changes meaning: 门在开 suggests someone is opening the door; 门开着 says it is simply open. Learn 着 with state/existence sentences (墙上挂着一张地图 — a map hangs on the wall).
Four-question aspect check
For an aspect sentence, ask: a habit (每天/常常)? use no marker. A lifetime experience? use 过, negated with 没. Happening now? use 在/正在 (+呢). A continuing state or manner? use 着. And remember 过 never takes 不, and 了 and 正在 rarely share a clause.
Place 了 by its job
Decide which 了 you need: completion 了 sits right after the verb (我吃了饭 — I ate); change-of-state 了 sits sentence-final (天黑了 — it got dark). One sentence can carry both: 他吃了饭就走了。(Tā chī le fàn jiù zǒu le.) — He ate, then left. Do not add a second, unneeded 了.
Negate aspect correctly (没, not 不/了)
Aspect negation is fixed: negate a completed or experiential action with 没(有), never 不, and drop 了 after 没. ✗ 我没吃了。/ 我不去过。 ✓ 我没吃。/ 我没去过。 Keep 不 for habits, willingness and the future: 我不吃辣。 — I do not eat spicy food.
Chinese verbs never change form for tense. Instead, four aspect markers show the internal shape of an action -- whether it is completed, experienced, in progress, or a continuing state -- while separate time words (昨天 yesterday, 现在 now, 每天 every day) show WHEN it happens. Mixing up aspect and tense is the single biggest trap in this topic: a habitual action never takes 了, and 过 answers "have you ever..." rather than "did you...on this occasion".
| Marker | Name | What it marks |
|---|---|---|
| 了 (le) | completion / change of state | a specific finished action, or a new situation |
| 过 (guò) | experience | something done at least once, ever |
| 在 / 正在 (zài / zhèngzài) | progressive | an action happening right now |
| 着 (zhe) | continuous state | a state that persists, or the manner of another action |
What does the aspect marker le mark, and what are its two positions in a sentence?
写出『了』和『过』这两个体标记分别表示什么意思，并各写一个例句（标出拼音）。
Level-of-response questions with model answers and mark scheme rubrics.
请描述你上周末做的事情。写一写你完成了哪些活动（用"了"表示已经做完的动作），并提一提一件你以前从未做过、但这次终于尝试的事情（用"过"表示经历）。用中文（汉字）书写，约80-100字，注意"了"和"过"的用法是否准确。（8分）
请描述你现在所在的房间（可以想象一个房间），写一写房间里的状态和现在正在发生的事情。至少用一次"正在……呢"描述一个正在进行的动作，至少用一次"着"描述一种持续的状态（例如窗户开着、墙上挂着什么）。用中文（汉字）书写，约80-100字。（8分）
