Verb + 着
HSK 2- Aspect
Structure (结构 jiégòu)
Meaning (意思 yìsi)
The particle 着 is placed after a verb to express an ongoing action or a currently existing state.
Explanation (解释 jiěshì)
The particle 着 (zhe) is placed directly after a verb to express an ongoing action or a state that is being maintained. It is similar to "đang" in Vietnamese, but places greater emphasis on state rather than action.
着 is commonly used to describe the background or manner in which another action takes place. For example, 他笑着说 (He said it with a smile / He spoke while smiling), where the main action is "speaking" and "smiling" is the accompanying state. It is also used for prolonged states of existence, such as a door being open or a light being on.
Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)
- 门开着呢。繁: 門開著呢。Mén kāi zhe ne.
The door is open.
- 她穿着一件红色的衣服。繁: 她穿著一件紅色的衣服。Tā chuān zhe yí jiàn hóngsè de yīfu.
She is wearing a red piece of clothing.
- 他手里拿着一本书。繁: 他手裡拿著一本書。Tā shǒu lǐ ná zhe yì běn shū.
He is holding a book in his hand.
- 我听着音乐写作业。繁: 我聽著音樂寫作業。Wǒ tīng zhe yīnyuè xiě zuòyè.
I listened to music while doing my homework.
- 墙上挂着一幅画。繁: 牆上掛著一幅畫。Qiáng shàng guà zhe yì fú huà.
A painting is hanging on the wall.
Common mistakes
- Wrong:门不开着。Correct:门没开着。
The negative form of 着 is 没(有) + Verb + 着, not 不.
- Wrong:他到家着。Correct:他到家了。
着 is used for continuous states. Verbs like 到 (arrive) indicate a momentary action that cannot be maintained as a state; use 了 instead to indicate completion.