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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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  <h1></h1>

  <p>The particle <span class="hanzi">着</span> (<span class="pinyin">zhe</span>) is one way of indicating the continuous aspect in Mandarin Chinese (another common way is <a href="Expressing_actions_in_progress" title="wikilink">using the adverb 在 in front of verbs</a>). You may have heard that the Chinese particle <span class="hanzi">着</span> added onto the end of verbs is similar to the use of -ing in English. This isn't particularly helpful, however, because the use of <span class="hanzi">着</span> in Chinese is not nearly so frequent, and can also be quite idiomatic.</p>

  <h2>Contents</h2>

  <ol>
    <li>Structure<br/></li>

    <li>Examples<br/></li>

    <li>See also<br/></li>

    <li>Sources and further reading<br/></li>

    <ol>
      <li>Books<br/></li>
    </ol>
  </ol>

  <h2 id="basic-usage">Basic Usage</h2>

  <h3 id="structure">Structure</h3>

  <div>
    <div class="deux">
      Verb + <span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 80); font-family: NotoSansCJKsc; font-size: 30px;">着</span>
    </div>
  </div>

  <h3 id="examples">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">我 读 ，你 听 着 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Wǒ dú, nǐ tīng zhe.</span><br/><span> I'll read the letter, and you will listen.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我们 做 ，你们 看 着 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen zuò, nǐmen kàn zhe.</span><br/><span> We will do it, and you will watch.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你们 坐 着 ，哪儿 都 别 去 </span>。<span class="pinyin"> Nǐmen zuò zhe, nǎr dōu bié qù.</span><br/><span> You sit here. Don't go anywhere else.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 出去 一下 ，你 帮 我 看 着 行李 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Wǒ chūqù yīxià, nǐ bāng wǒ kān zhe xíngli.</span><br/><span> I'll go out for a second, and you watch the luggage for me.</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="used-for-continuous-state">Used for Continuous State</h2>

  <p>While it's true that the "<a href="Expressing_actions_in_progress_(full_form)" title="wikilink">full progressive pattern</a>" can make use of <span class="hanzi">着</span>, this is not a pattern you're going to want to use all the time. The most commonly used verbs are the ones below:</p>

  <ul>
    <li><span class="hanzi">开</span> (<span class="pinyin">kāi</span>) alone can mean "<b>to open</b>" or "<b>to turn on.</b>" Adding <span class="hanzi">着</span> allows one to express that something "<b>is open</b>" or "<b>is on</b>."</li>
  </ul>

  <ul>
    <li><span class="hanzi">关</span> (<span class="pinyin">guān</span>) alone can mean "<b>to close</b>" or "<b>to turn off.</b>" Adding <span class="hanzi">着</span> allows one to express that something "<b>is closed</b>" or "<b>is off.</b>"</li>
  </ul>

  <ul>
    <li><span class="hanzi">穿</span> (<span class="pinyin">chuān</span>) alone means "<b>to wear.</b>" Adding <span class="hanzi">着</span> allows one to express that one "<b>is wearing</b>" or "<b>has</b>" something (on one's person).</li>
  </ul>

  <ul>
    <li><span class="hanzi">戴</span> (<span class="pinyin">dài</span>) alone means "<b>to wear.</b>" Adding <span class="hanzi">着</span> allows one to express that one "<b>is wearing</b>" or "<b>has</b>" something (on one's person).</li>
  </ul>

  <ul>
    <li><span class="hanzi">躺</span> (<span class="pinyin">tǎng</span>) alone means "<b>to lie on one's back.</b>" Adding <span class="hanzi">着</span> allows one to express that someone "<b>is lying down.</b>"</li>
  </ul>

  <h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="vert"><span class="hanzi">家里 的 灯 开 着 。</span> "Being on" is a state, so using 着 is natural.</span><span class="pinyin"> Jiālǐ de dēng kāi zhe.</span></li>

      <li><span class="vert"><span class="hanzi">家里 灯 在 开 。</span> "Being on" is not an action, so don't use 在.</span><span class="pinyin"> Jiālǐ de dēng zài kāi.</span></li>
    </ul>

    <ul>
      <li><span class="vert"><span class="hanzi">公司 的 门 开 着 ，可是 没 人 在 。</span> "Being on" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)</span><span class="pinyin"> Gōngsī de mén kāi zhe, kěshì méi rén zài.</span></li>

      <li><span class="vert"><span class="hanzi">公司 的 门 在 开 ，可是 没 人 在 。</span> "Being open" is not an action, so don't use 在.)</span><span class="pinyin"> Gōngsī de mén zài kāi, kěshì méi rén zài.</span></li>
    </ul>

    <ul>
      <li><span class="vert"><span class="hanzi">他 戴 着 眼镜 。</span> "Having his glasses (on him)" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)</span><span class="pinyin"> Tā dài zhe yǎnjìng.</span></li>

      <li><span class="vert"><span class="hanzi">他 在 戴 眼镜 。</span> "Having his glasses (on him)" is not an action, so don't use 在.)</span><span class="pinyin"> Tā zài dài yǎnjìng.</span></li>
    </ul>

    <ul>
      <li><span class="vert"><span class="hanzi">她 穿 着 一 条 小 黑 裙 。</span> "Be wearing" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)</span><span class="pinyin"> Tā chuān zhe yī tiáo xiǎo hēi qún.</span></li>

      <li><span class="vert"><span class="hanzi">她 在 穿 一 条 小 黑 裙 。</span> "Be wearing" is not an action, so don't use 在.)</span><span class="pinyin"> Tā zài chuān yī tiáo xiǎo hēi qún.</span></li>
    </ul>

    <ul>
      <li><span class="vert"><span class="hanzi">躺 着 最 舒服 。</span> "Lying here" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)</span><span class="pinyin"> Tǎng zhe zuì shūfu.</span></li>

      <li><span class="vert"><span class="hanzi">在 躺 最 舒服 。</span> "Lying here" is not strictly an action, so don't use 在.)</span><span class="pinyin"> Zài tǎng zuì shūfu .</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="used-for-a-certain-way-of-doing-things">Used for a Certain Way of Doing Things</h2>

  <p>If you do an action <a href="&quot;Verbing_away&quot;_using_&quot;zhe&quot;" title="wikilink">while in a particular state</a>, you can make use of this pattern:</p>

  <h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3>

  <div>
    <div class="deux">
      Verb 1 + <span class="hanzist">着</span> + Verb 2
    </div>
  </div>

  <p>Note that the first verb (followed by <span class="hanzi">着</span>) describes the state; the second verb is the action verb. In this case, the "-ing" translation can be useful.</p>

  <h3 id="examples-2">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">她 喜欢 站 着 吃饭 。</span> <span class="vert">"standing + eat = eating while standing"</span><span class="pinyin"> Tā xǐhuan zhàn zhe chīfàn.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 不 喜欢 听 着 音乐 做 作业 。</span> <span class="vert">"listening to music + do homework = listening to music while doing homework</span><span class="pinyin"> Wǒ bù xǐhuan tīng zhe yīnyuè zuò zuòyè.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他 笑 着 说 “对不起” 。</span> <span class="vert">"smiling + say = saying "I'm sorry" while smiling</span><span class="pinyin"> Tā xiào zhe shuō "duìbuqǐ".</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <p>Note: If you want to make a sentence where both verbs are action verbs (neither is truly a state), then you don't want this pattern, you want <a href="Simultaneous_tasks_with_&quot;yibian&quot;" title="wikilink">一边⋯⋯，一边⋯⋯</a>.</p>

  <h2 id="着-used-idiomatically"><span class="hanzist">着</span> Used Idiomatically</h2>

  <p>Certain verbs tend to take <span class="hanzi">着</span> more frequently than others, and exactly what the <span class="hanzi">着</span> is doing might not be apparent at all. It's best to think of these usages as colloquialisms. You can even think of them as set phrases.</p>

  <h3 id="examples-3">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">你 听 着 !</span> <span class="vert">"to listen and keep listening"</span><span class="pinyin"> Nǐ tīng zhe!</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">这个 你 拿 着 !</span> <span class="vert">"to hold and keep holding"</span><span class="pinyin"> Zhège nǐ ná zhe!</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你们 等 着 !</span> <span class="vert">"to wait and keeping waiting"</span><span class="pinyin"> Nǐmen děng zhe!</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <p>There's also one colloquial usage of <span class="hanzi">着</span> that's been chosen by at least one textbook for special treatment, so we'll cover it here as well:</p>

  <div>
    <div class="deux">
      Verb + <span class="hanzist">着</span> + <span class="hanzist">玩</span> + <span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 80); font-family: NotoSansCJKsc; font-size: 30px;">的</span>
    </div>
  </div>

  <p>This pattern may look like that "<b>doing an action in a particular state</b>" pattern already covered above, but in practice it doesn't really work that way. It just means "<b>[Verb] for fun</b>" or "<b>[Verb] as a joke.</b>"</p>

  <p>Examples of this usage:</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">我 不 是 认真 的 ，我 是 闹 着 玩 的 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Wǒ bùshì rènzhēn de, wǒ shì nào zhe wá de.</span><br/><span> I'm not very serious, I like to have a lot of fun.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 听不懂 英文 歌 ，只 是 听 着 玩 的 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Wǒ tīng bù dǒng Yīngwén gē, zhǐshì tīng zhe wán de.</span><br/><span> I don't understand English songs. I just listen for fun.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 不要 生气 ，我 是 说 着 玩 的 ！</span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ bùyào shēngqì, wǒ gāngcái shì shuō zhe wán de!</span><br/><span> Don't be mad.I was just joking.</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>

  <ul>
    <li><a href="Expressing_actions_in_progress" title="wikilink">Expressing actions in progress</a></li>

    <li><a href="Expressing_actions_in_progress_(full_form)" title="wikilink">Expressing actions in progress (full form)</a></li>
  </ul>

  <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>

  <h3 id="books">Books</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (<span class="hanzi">外国人实用汉语语法</span>) (pp. 414 - 423)</li>

    <li>Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 89)</li>

    <li>Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 217 - 225)</li>

    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 242-3)</li>

    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (p. 17)</li>

    <li>New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本2</span>) (pp. 238-9)</li>

    <li>40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (<span class="hanzi">基础汉语40课上册</span>） (p. 255)</li>
  </ul>

  <h3 id="websites">Websites</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>About.com: <a href="http://mandarin.about.com/od/grammar/a/aspect.htm">Mandarin Chinese Aspect</a></li>

    <li>ChinesePod: <a href="http://chinesepod.com/lessons/the-%E7%9D%80-zhe-chronicles-how-we-verb"> Qing Wen - The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: How We Verb</a> (free content)</li>

    <li>ChinesePod: <a href="http://chinesepod.com/lessons/the-%E7%9D%80-zhe-chronicles-actions-in-progress"> Qing Wen - The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: Actions in Progress</a> (free content)</li>

    <li>ChinesePod: <a href="http://chinesepod.com/lessons/the-%E7%9D%80-zhe-chronicles-verbs-as-states"> Qing Wen - The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: Verbs as States</a> (free content)</li>
  </ul>
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