ChineseGrammarWiki/Programmes/B1.old/Grammar-wiki-B1-55.txt

{{Grammar Box}} 

The particle 着 (zhe) is one way of indicating the ''continuous aspect'' in Mandarin Chinese (another common way is [[Expressing actions in progress|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.

== Basic Usage ==

=== Structure ===

<div class="jiegou">
Verb + 着
</div>

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">

*我 读 ，你 听 <em>着</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ dú, nǐ tīng <em>zhe</em>.</span><span class="trans">I'll read the letter, and you will listen.</span>
*我们 做 ，你们 看 <em>着</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen zuò, nǐmen kàn <em>zhe</em>.</span><span class="trans">We will do it, and you will watch.</span>
*你们 坐 <em>着</em> ，哪儿 都 别 去 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen zuò <em>zhe</em>, nǎr dōu bié qù.</span><span class="trans">You sit here. Don't go anywhere else.</span>
*我 出去 一下 ，你 帮 我 看 <em>着</em> 行李 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ chūqù yīxià, nǐ bāng wǒ kān <em>zhe</em> xíngli.</span><span class="trans">I'll go out for a second, and you watch the luggage for me.</span>

</div>

== Used for Continuous State ==

While it's true that the "[[Expressing actions in progress (full form)|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:

*开 (kāi) alone can mean "to open" or "to turn on." Adding 着 allows one to express that something "is open" or "is on."

*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>

*穿 (chuān) alone means "to wear." Adding 着 allows one to express that one "is wearing" or "has" something (on one's person).

*戴 (dài) alone means "to wear." Adding 着 allows one to express that one "is wearing" or "has" something (on one's person).

*躺 (tǎng) alone means "to lie on one's back." Adding 着 allows one to express that someone "is lying down."

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">

<ul>
<li class="o">家里 的 灯 开 <em>着</em> 。<span class="expl">"Being on" is a state, so using 着 is natural.</span><span class="pinyin">Jiālǐ de dēng kāi <em>zhe</em>.</span></li>
<li class="x">家里 灯 <em>在</em> 开 。<span class="expl">"Being on" is not an action, so don't use 在.</span><span class="pinyin">Jiālǐ de dēng <em>zài</em> kāi.</span></li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li class="o">公司 的 门 开 <em>着</em> ，可是 没 人 在 。<span class="expl">"Being on" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)</span><span class="pinyin">Gōngsī de mén kāi <em>zhe</em>, kěshì méi rén zài.</span></li>
<li class="x">公司 的 门 <em>在</em> 开 ，可是 没 人 在 。<span class="expl">"Being open" is not an action, so don't use 在.)</span><span class="pinyin">Gōngsī de mén <em>zài</em> kāi, kěshì méi rén zài.</span></li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li class="o">他 戴 <em>着</em> 眼镜 。<span class="expl">"Having his glasses (on him)" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)</span><span class="pinyin">Tā dài <em>zhe</em> yǎnjìng.</span></li>
<li class="x">他 <em>在</em> 戴 眼镜 。<span class="expl">"Having his glasses (on him)" is not an action, so don't use 在.)</span><span class="pinyin">Tā <em>zài</em> dài yǎnjìng.</span></li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li class="o">她 穿 <em>着</em> 一 条 小 黑 裙 。<span class="expl">"Be wearing" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)</span><span class="pinyin">Tā chuān <em>zhe</em> yī tiáo xiǎo hēi qún.</span></li>
<li class="x">她 <em>在</em> 穿 一 条 小 黑 裙 。<span class="expl">"Be wearing" is not an action, so don't use 在.)</span><span class="pinyin">Tā <em>zài</em> chuān yī tiáo xiǎo hēi qún.</span></li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li class="o">躺 <em>着</em> 最 舒服 。<span class="expl">"Lying here" is a state, so using 着 is natural.)</span><span class="pinyin">Tǎng <em>zhe</em> zuì shūfu.</span></li>
<li class="x"><em>在</em> 躺 最 舒服 。<span class="expl">"Lying here" is not strictly an action, so don't use 在.)</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Zài</em> tǎng zuì shūfu .</span></li>
</ul>

</div>

== Used for a Certain Way of Doing Things ==

If you do an action [["Verbing away" using "zhe"|''while in a particular state'']], you can make use of this pattern:

=== Structure ===

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

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.

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">

*她 喜欢 站 <em>着</em> 吃饭 。<span class="expl"> "standing + eat = eating while standing"</span><span class="pinyin">Tā xǐhuan zhàn <em>zhe</em> chīfàn.</span>
*我 不 喜欢 听 <em>着</em> 音乐 做 作业 。<span class="expl"> "listening to music + do homework = listening to music while doing homework</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ bù xǐhuan tīng <em>zhe</em> yīnyuè zuò zuòyè.</span>
*他 笑 <em>着</em> 说 “对不起” 。<span class="expl"> "smiling + say = saying "I'm sorry" while smiling</span><span class="pinyin">Tā xiào <em>zhe</em> shuō "duìbuqǐ".</span>

</div>

'''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 [[Simultaneous tasks with "yibian"|一边⋯⋯，一边⋯⋯]].

== 着 Used Idiomatically ==

Certain verbs tend to take 着 more frequently than others, and exactly what the 着 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.

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">

*你 听 <em>着</em> ! <span class="expl">"to listen and keep listening"</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ tīng <em>zhe</em>!</span>
*这个 你 拿 <em>着</em> ! <span class="expl">"to hold and keep holding"</span><span class="pinyin">Zhège nǐ ná <em>zhe</em>!</span>
*你们 等 <em>着</em> ! <span class="expl">"to wait and keeping waiting"</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐmen děng <em>zhe</em>!</span>

</div>

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:

<div class="jiegou">
Verb + 着 + 玩 + 的
</div>

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."

Examples of this usage:

<div class="liju">

*我 不 是 认真 的 ，我 是 闹 <em>着</em> 玩 的 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ bùshì rènzhēn de, wǒ shì nào <em>zhe</em> wá de.</span><span class="trans">I'm not very serious, I like to have a lot of fun.</span>
*我 听不懂 英文 歌 ，只 是 听 <em>着</em> 玩 的 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ tīng bù dǒng Yīngwén gē, zhǐshì tīng <em>zhe</em> wán de.</span><span class="trans">I don't understand English songs. I just listen for fun.</span>
*你 不要 生气 ，我 是 说 <em>着</em> 玩 的 ！<span class="pinyin">Nǐ bùyào shēngqì, wǒ gāngcái shì shuō <em>zhe</em> wán de!</span><span class="trans">Don't be mad.I was just joking.</span>

</div>

==See also==

* [[Expressing actions in progress]]
* [[Expressing actions in progress (full form)]]

== Sources and further reading ==

=== Books ===

* [[A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) ]] (pp. 414 - 423) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA →buy] 
* [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 89) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy]
* [[Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar]] (pp. 217 - 225) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520066103?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0520066103 →buy]
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 242-3) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709 →buy]
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2]] (p. 17) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276881/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0887276881 →buy]
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2)]] (pp. 238-9) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561911297/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561911297 →buy]
*[[40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）]] (p. 255)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20 →buy]

=== Websites ===

* About.com: [http://mandarin.about.com/od/grammar/a/aspect.htm Mandarin Chinese Aspect]
* ChinesePod: [http://chinesepod.com/lessons/the-%E7%9D%80-zhe-chronicles-how-we-verb Qing Wen - The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: How We Verb] (free content)
* ChinesePod: [http://chinesepod.com/lessons/the-%E7%9D%80-zhe-chronicles-actions-in-progress Qing Wen - The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: Actions in Progress] (free content)
* ChinesePod: [http://chinesepod.com/lessons/the-%E7%9D%80-zhe-chronicles-verbs-as-states Qing Wen - The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: Verbs as States] (free content)
{{Similar|Expressing actions in progress (full form)}}
{{Similar|Expressing actions in progress}}
{{Similar|"Verbing away" using "zhe"}}
{{Basic Grammar|着|B1|Verb + 着|你 <em>拿 着</em> 。我们 <em>站 着</em> 说话 吧。|grammar point|ASGOIDEO}}
{{Used for|Expressing duration}}
{{Used for|Indicating conditions}}
{{POS|Particles}}