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<h1>Aspect particle "zhe"
</h1>

<p>The particle 着 (zhe) is one way of indicating the continuous aspect in Mandarin Chinese (another common way is using the adverb 在 in front of verbs). You may have heard that the Chinese particle 着 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 着 in Chinese is not nearly so frequent and can also be quite idiomatic.</p>

<h2>Contents</h2>

  
<div class="contents"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1 Basic Usage </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.1 Structure </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.2 Examples </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2 Used for Manner or State in which an Action is Performed </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.1 Structure </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.2 Examples </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3 Used for Continuous State </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3.1 Examples </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4 Colloquial Saying </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">5 See also </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">6 Sources and further reading </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">6.1 Books </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">6.2 Websites</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<h2>Basic Usage
</h2>
<p>The idea here is that the action won't just happen and stop immediately; it will continue for a while.</p>

<h3>Structure</h3>

<div class="deux">Verb + 着</div>

<h3>Examples</h3>

<p>This basic pattern is often used with commands involving certain verbs where the action persists for a while.</p>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我 读 ，你 听 着 。
Wǒ dú, nǐ tīng zhe.
I'll read, and you will listen. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我们 做 ，你们 看 着 。
Wǒmen zuò, nǐmen kàn zhe.
We will do it, and you will watch. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你们 坐 着 ，我 马上 回来 。
Nǐmen zuò zhe, wǒ mǎshàng huílái.
Sit here. I'll be right back. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我 出去 一下 ，你 帮 我 看 着 行李 。
Wǒ chūqù yīxià, nǐ bāng wǒ kān zhe xíngli.
I'll go out for a second, and you watch the luggage for me.</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>

<h2>Used for Manner or State in which an Action is Performed</h2>

<h3>Structure</h3>

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

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

<h3>Examples</h3>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">她 喜欢 站 着 吃饭 。"standing + eat = eating while standing"
Tā xǐhuan zhàn zhe chīfàn. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">他 笑 着 说 “对不起” 。"smiling + say = saying "I'm sorry" while smiling
Tā xiào zhe shuō "duìbuqǐ". </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">孩子 抱 着 爸爸 哭 了 起来 。"hugging + cry = crying while hugging
Háizi bào zhe bàba kū le qǐlái.</span><br/></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 一边⋯⋯，一边⋯⋯.</p>

<h2>Used for Continuous State</h2>

<p>While it's true that the "full progressive pattern" can make use of 着, 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>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">开 (kāi) alone can mean "to open" or "to turn on." Adding 着 allows one to express that something "is open" or "is on." </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">关 (guān) alone can mean "to close" or "to turn off." Adding 着 allows one to express that something "is closed" or "is off." </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">穿 (chuān) alone means "to wear." Adding 着 allows one to express that one "is wearing" or "has" something (on one's person). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">戴 (dài) alone means "to wear." Adding 着 allows one to express that one "is wearing" or "has" something (on one's person). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">躺 (tǎng) alone means "to lie on one's back." Adding 着 allows one to express that someone "is lying down."</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Examples</h3>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">公司 的 门 开 着 ，可是 没 人 在 。"Being on" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)
Gōngsī de mén kāi zhe, kěshì méi rén zài.
The company's door is open but no one is in there. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">公司 的 门 在 开 ，可是 没 人 在 。"Being open" is not an action, so don't use 在.)
Gōngsī de mén zài kāi, kěshì méi rén zài. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">她 穿 着 一 条 小 黑 裙 。"Be wearing" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)
Tā chuān zhe yī tiáo xiǎo hēi qún.
She's wearing a little black dress. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">她 在 穿 一 条 小 黑 裙 。"Be wearing" is not an action, so don't use 在.)
Tā zài chuān yī tiáo xiǎo hēi qún. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">躺 着 最 舒服 。"Lying here" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)
Tǎng zhe zuì shūfu.
It makes me most comfortable just lying there. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">在 躺 最 舒服 。"Lying here" is not strictly an action, so don't use 在.)
Zài tǎng zuì shūfu.</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>

<h2>Colloquial Saying</h2>

<p>Certain verbs tend to take 着 more frequently than others, and what the 着 exactly 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>Examples of this usage:</h3>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">听 着 ! "to listen and keep listening"
Tīng zhe! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">别 客气 ，拿 着 吧 。"to take and keep it"
Bié kèqi, ná zhe ba. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你们 等 着 ! "to wait and keeping waiting"
Nǐmen děng zhe!</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>

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

<div class="deux">Subj. + 是 + Verb + 着 + 玩 + 的</div>

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

<h3>Examples of this usage:
</h3>
<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 不要 生气 ，我 是 说 着 玩 的 。
Nǐ bùyào shēngqì, wǒ shì shuō zhe wán de!
Don't be mad. I was just joking. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我 听不懂 英文 歌 ，只 是 听 着 玩 的 。
Wǒ tīng bu dǒng Yīngwén gē, zhǐshì tīng zhe wán de.
I don't understand English songs. I listen just for fun.</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>See also</h3>

<div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Expressing actions in progress </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Expressing actions in progress (full form)</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>

<h3>Sources and further reading</h3>

<h4>Books</h4>

<div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 414 - 423) →buy </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 89) →buy </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 217 - 225) →buy </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 242-3) →buy </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 17) →buy </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 238-9) →buy </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (pp. 255) →buy </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Websites

About.com: </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Mandarin Chinese Aspect </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">ChinesePod: Qing Wen - The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: How We Verb (free content) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">ChinesePod: Qing Wen - The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: Actions in Progress (free content) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">ChinesePod: Qing Wen - The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: Verbs as States (free content)</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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