Lesson 2.6: Aspect Markers 1
You may be surprised to hear that, unlike most other languages, Chinese has no verb tense. Verb tense is assumed based on context, meaning that 她是老师。 (tā shì lǎo shī) could mean “She was a teacher,” “She is a teacher,” or “She will be a teacher,” and we can only select one definite translation if we know the rest of the conversation. To be sure, there are ways to talk about time in Chinese, but they don’t qualify as verb tense for two main reasons:
- Chinese verbs don’t change form depending on time. Words called aspect markers might be added to the sentence, but the verbs themselves do not change.
- More importantly, Chinese time words do not make comparisons to the present like English time words. English tense is organized around past (before the present), present, and future (after the present), but the Chinese time system does not make that kind of comparison. Instead, they describe the internal temporal structure of the action, highlighting different parts (like the end of the action) or different characteristics (like repetition of an action).
That kind of comparison-free time system is called verb aspect. Verb aspect is the closest thing Chinese has to verb tense, and it’s denoted with short words called aspect markers. We’ll take the rest of the lesson to explain some of the most common aspect markers, how to use them, and what kind of aspect they indicate.
As you’re reading the examples we provide, remember that tense is assumed based on context, and since there is no context for our examples, we just pick a tense to use in the English translation. There are multiple possible tenses for the English translation, but the aspect is still determined by the Chinese aspect marker.
The progressive aspect markers 在 and 正在
The aspect markers 在 (zài) and 正在 (zhèng zài) are interchangeable and indicate the progressive aspect. The progressive aspect describes ongoing actions, emphasizing the middle of the process when the action is happening but not yet complete. The progressive aspect is denoted in English by verbs ending in -ing. 在 and 正在 are placed before the verb.
Example: 我们在做那。 (wǒ men zài zuò nà, We’re doing that.)
Example: 猫正在尝试进入。 (māo zhèng zài cháng shì jìn rù, The cat is trying to get in.)
Example: 你在睡觉的时候，我离开了。 (nǐ zài shuì jiào de shí hou, wǒ lí kāi le, While you were sleeping, I left.)
The perfective aspect marker 了
The aspect marker 了 (le) is the opposite of 在 and 正在. While 在 and 正在 emphasize the middle of an incomplete action, 了 is placed after the verb to emphasize the end result of a completed action or change. It’s a common misconception that 了 indicates the past tense, but while there’s a lot of overlap between 了 and the past tense, aspect markers never convey tense. A better English equivalent would be the three perfect tenses (“I had done,” “I have done,” and “I will have done”), which make up the English perfective aspect; they also emphasize the result of an action or change rather than the action itself.
Example: 门关闭了。 (mén guān bì le, The door had closed; The door was closed.)
Example: 你搬家了，我想你。 (nǐ bān jiā le, wǒ xiǎng nǐ, When you move away, I’ll miss you.)
Example: 我明白了。 (wǒ míng bái le, I understand; I got it.)
The experiential aspect marker 过
The aspect marker 过 (guò) is similar to 了 in that it focuses on the aftermath of an action. While 了 describes actions and changes, though 过 specifically describes experiences. 过 can be used for any past experience, no matter whether it was ongoing, repeated, or a very long time before the time being discussed. 过 is placed after the verb. (Here, “past” means before the time being discussed, not necessarily before the present, so 过 doesn’t technically indicate tense.)
Example: 我们去过中国。 (wǒ men qù guò zhōng guó, We have been to China.)
Example: 你看过这部电影吗？ (nǐ kàn guò zhè bù diàn yǐng ma, Have you seen this movie?)
Example: 我吃过饺子。 (wǒ chī guò jiǎo zi, I’ve eaten dumplings.)
The state aspect marker 着
The aspect marker 着 (zhe) marks a continuous state. It’s similar to 在 and 正在, but 着 marks a state while 在 and 正在 mark an action. You can think of it as providing a description rather than recounting a specific event.
Example: 他穿着红色的衬衫。 (tā chuān zhe hóng sè de chèn shān, He is wearing a red shirt.)
Example: 男人在公园里坐着。 (nán rén zài gōng yuán lǐ zuò zhe, The man was sitting in the park.)
Example: 你总是笑着。 (nǐ zǒng shì xiào zhe, You’re always smiling.)
着 can sometimes be used for actions as well. It works better than 在 and 正在 for actions that last for a long time and serve as a sort of “background” for another action.
Example: 我听着音乐，突然看到我的老师。 (wǒ tīng zhe yīn yuè, tū rán kàn dào wǒ de lǎo shī, I was listening to music when I suddenly saw my teacher.)
And now you know how to use the Chinese time system! Chinese aspect is very different from English tense, so don’t expect yourself to be able to use it perfectly right away. After some practice on the AI page, you’ll be able to form much more sophisticated and natural ideas about time. On that page, there’s a text entry where you can give the algorithm a note asking for aspect marker practice (or practice with any other topic).