Aspectual particles in Mandarin are words that are used to express aspect, which refers to the state of an action (e.g. if it is complete or in progress). Some of the most common aspectual particles include: 了 (le), 过 (guo), 着 (zhe), and 在 (zài). For example, to mark the completion of an action, you can add 了 (le) and 过 (guo) right after a verb:
他去了中国。
(Tā qùle Zhōngguó.)
He went to China.
他去过中国。
(Tā qùguo Zhōngguó.)
He has been to China.
In this post, we’re going to talk about 了 (le) and 过 (guo), how they are used, as well as their differences. Are you ready?
Table of Contents
What are particles in Mandarin Chinese?
Particles are words that are added to another word, phrase, or sentenceNo definition set for sentenceLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. to indicate different supplementary meanings, grammatical relations, or moods, but don’t have actual intrinsic meanings. In Mandarin, there are structural particles, aspectual particles, and modal particles. 了 (le) is an aspectual particle as well as a modal particle.
Let’s explore the aspectual particles!
How to use 了 (le) as an aspectual particle in Mandarin?
了 (le) has two very important grammatical functions: one is to mark the completion of an action, and the other is to mark the change of state. Let’s see how it works!
Using 了 (le) for completion of an action
When 了 (le) goes right after a verbNo definition set for verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., it marks the completion of an action. For example:
刚刚下了雨。
(Gānggāng xiàle yǔ.)
It just rained.
我看了这本书。
(Wǒ kànle zhèběn shū.)
I read the book.
In the first example, 了 (le) marks the completion of raining. That is, the rain has stopped. The same happens in the second example, where 了 (le) helps convey that the speaker completed reading the book.
了 (le) in this capacity is also used in the so-called serial verb constructions, which are constructions with more than one verb. In these sentences, 了 (le) can be placed at the end of the sentence or after another verb but never after the first verb:
O 他待在图书馆查资料了。
(Tā dāizài túshūguǎn chá zīliào le.)
He stayed in the library to look for materials.
The aspectual 了 is added in the end of the sentence.
X 他待在了图书馆查资料。
(Tā dāizài le túshūguǎn chá zīliào.)
He stayed in the library to look for materials.
The aspectual 了 can never be placed after the first verb.
Using 了 (le) for change of state
When you use 了 (le) to mark the change of state, it usually comes at the end of the sentence. For example:
下雨了。
(Xià yǔle.)
It started to rain.
雨停了。
(Yǔ tíngle.)
The rain stopped.
In the first example, 下雨了 implies that it wasn’t raining, but now it started to rain. So there's a change of state. The same goes for the second example. It was raining but now it has stopped, so you would say 雨停了.
Important
了 (le) is constantly mistaken as a past tense marker, but in fact, it can be used for future events as well:
As you see in this example, we can use 了 (le) for a future event. 了 (le) in this sentence suggests that after the first event (i.e., getting out of class) is completed, the second event (i.e., seeing a movie) follows. So, it is important to remember that 了 (le) is not a past tense marker, but marks the completion of an action or change of state.
To express the past, oftentimes you simply add a time phrase to a sentence, such as:
How to use 过 (guo) for past experiences in Mandarin?
过 (guo) is an aspectual particle that indicates a past experience; it goes right after a verb and implies that the action is no longer going on at the time of speaking.
我结过婚。
(Wǒ jiéguo hūn.)
I was married.
我去过上海。
(Wǒ qùguo Shànghǎi.)
I have been to Shanghai.
过 (guo) also implies discontinuity. That is, when someone says “我结过婚” the person is probably not married at the moment. Or if someone says “我去过上海” the person is not in Shanghai.
Important
The Mandarin negation word for 过 (guo) is 没 (méi), not 不 (bù), because 没 (méi) is the go-to negation word for things that didn’t happen in the past. 不 (bù), on the other hand, is the negation word for present and future events.
Although 过 (guo) is often a fourth tone in many other phrases, such as 过生日 (guò shēngrì, to celebrate one’s birthday), it is a neutral tone when it serves as an aspectual particle to mark past experience.
过 (guo) usually works with verbs that could happen more than once, or repeatable actions. For example, if you want to say someone died, you would use 了 instead of 过.
X 他死过。
(Tā sǐguo.)
O 他死了。
(Tā sǐle.)
He is dead.
When to use 了 (le) vs. 过 (guo) in Mandarin?
Now we have seen that both 了 (le) and 过 (guo) are used for completed events, but it could still be confusing as to when to use 了 (le) and when to use 过 (guo), right? Let’s take a look at some of the differences between 了 (le) and 过 (guo).
过 (guo) implies discontinuity
The major difference that distinguishes 过 (guo) and 了 (le) is that 过 (guo) implies the discontinuity of an event but with 了 (le), it can go either way. Look at these two examples:
他去过中国。
(Tā qùguo Zhōngguó.)
He has been to China.
他去了中国。
(Tā qùle Zhōngguó.)
He has gone to China.
In the first example, 过 (guo) marks the past experience that does not continue at the time of speech. So, it implies that the person is no longer in China. In the second example, however, 了 (le) only marks the completion of an action, but not the current situation. Still confused? Let’s look at some more examples:
我结过婚。
(Wǒ jiéguo hūn.)
I was married.
我结了婚。
(Wǒ jiéle hūn.)
I got married.
The first sentence with 过 implies that the event did not continue into the present (i.e., I’m not married anymore), whereas in the second sentence, we don’t know if the person is still married, as it can go either way with 了 (le).
了 (le) does not take negation
Remember that 了 (le) marks the completion of an action; it cannot be used for things that didn't happen in the past. That is to say, 了 (le) can’t take negation. When you’re talking about things that didn’t happen in the past, do not use 了 (le). For example:
X 我没去了中国。
(Wǒ méi qùle Zhōngguó.)
O 我没去中国。
(Wǒ méi qù Zhōngguó.)
I didn’t go to China.
However, it is okay for 过 (guo) to take negation to express an experience you haven’t had. For example:
O 我没去过中国。
(Wǒ méi qùguo Zhōngguó.)
I haven’t been to China.
过 (guo) can’t be used for a single past event
If you are talking about a one-time past event, then what you need to use is 了 (le), not 过 (guo). Again, 过 (guo) is for repeatable past experiences, not for describing a one-time event.
My sister got married last year. She gave birth to a child this year.
In this context, “giving birth to a child” is a one-time event, so you can’t use 过 (guo) here. However, if you express the idea that someone has the experience of giving birth to a baby, then you would use 过 (guo). For example:
她生过两个孩子。
(Tā shēngguo liǎnggè háizi.)
She has given birth to two children. / She has had two children.
When both 了 (le) and 过 (guo) can be used in Mandarin?
When 了 and 过 appear in the sentence, 了 marks the change of state, not the completion of an action. Let’s take a look at the following examples:
我吃过饭了。
(Wǒ chīguo fànle.)
I have had my meal.
In this example, 过 (guo) suggests discontinuity. That is, the action of eating has ended. 了 (le) marks the change from not having had the meal to having had the meal. Let’s check out another example:
你看过这本书了吗？
(Nǐ kànguo zhè běn shūle ma?)
Have you read the book?
Similarly, in this example, 过 (guo) marks the experience of reading the book and the action has ended in the past. 了 (le) suggests the change of state from not having read the book to having read the book.
To sum up
Mandarin uses aspectual particles right after the verb to mark the state of a verb, such as 了 (le) and 过 (guo). An easy way to distinguish between these two is to think of 了 (le)as a one-time single event (e.g., I went to China) and 过 (guo)as a repeatable past experience (e.g. I have been to China).
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