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- <p>The particle 着 (zhe) is one way of indicating the <em>continuous aspect</em> 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 着 added onto the end of verbs is similar to the use of <em>-ing</em> 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 id="basic-usage">Basic Usage</h2>
- <h3 id="structure">Structure</h3>
- <div class="jiegou">
- <p>Verb + 着</p>
- </div>
- <h3 id="examples">Examples</h3>
- <div class="liju">
- <ul>
- <li>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></li>
- <li>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></li>
- <li>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></li>
- <li>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></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 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>
- <ul>
- <li>开 (kāi) alone can mean "to open" or "to turn on." Adding 着 allows one to express that something "is open" or "is on."</li>
- </ul>
- <ul>
- <li>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>
- </ul>
- <ul>
- <li>穿 (chuān) alone means "to wear." Adding 着 allows one to express that one "is wearing" or "has" something (on one's person).</li>
- </ul>
- <ul>
- <li>戴 (dài) alone means "to wear." Adding 着 allows one to express that one "is wearing" or "has" something (on one's person).</li>
- </ul>
- <ul>
- <li>躺 (tǎng) alone means "to lie on one's back." Adding 着 allows one to express that someone "is lying down."</li>
- </ul>
- <h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3>
- <div class="liju">
- <ul>
- <li>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>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>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>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>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>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>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>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>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><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>
- <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=""Verbing_away"_using_"zhe"" title="wikilink"><em>while in a particular state</em></a>, you can make use of this pattern:</p>
- <h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3>
- <div class="jiegou">
- <p>Verb 1 + 着 + Verb 2</p>
- </div>
- <p>Note that the <strong>first verb</strong> (followed by 着) describes the <strong>state</strong>; 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="liju">
- <ul>
- <li>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></li>
- <li>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></li>
- <li>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></li>
- </ul>
- </div>
- <p><strong>Note:</strong> 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_"yibian"" title="wikilink">一边⋯⋯，一边⋯⋯</a>.</p>
- <h2 id="着-used-idiomatically">着 Used Idiomatically</h2>
- <p>Certain verbs tend to take 着 more frequently than others, and exactly what the 着 is <em>doing</em> 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="liju">
- <ul>
- <li>你 听 <em>着</em> ! <span class="expl">"to listen and keep listening"</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ tīng <em>zhe</em>!</span></li>
- <li>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></li>
- <li>你们 等 <em>着</em> ! <span class="expl">"to wait and keeping waiting"</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐmen děng <em>zhe</em>!</span></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="jiegou">
- <p>Verb + 着 + 玩 + 的</p>
- </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>
- <p>Examples of this usage:</p>
- <div class="liju">
- <ul>
- <li>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></li>
- <li>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></li>
- <li>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></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 href="A_Practical_Chinese_Grammar_For_Foreigners_(外国人实用汉语语法)" title="wikilink">A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法)</a> (pp. 414 - 423) <a href="http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA">→buy</a></li>
- <li><a href="Chinese:_An_Essential_Grammar,_Second_Edition" title="wikilink">Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition</a> (pp. 89) <a href="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</a></li>
- <li><a href="Mandarin_Chinese:_A_Functional_Reference_Grammar" title="wikilink">Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar</a> (pp. 217 - 225) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520066103?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0520066103">→buy</a></li>
- <li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_2_(3rd_ed)" title="wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)</a> (pp. 242-3) <a href="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</a></li>
- <li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_2" title="wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2</a> (p. 17) <a href="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</a></li>
- <li><a href="New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_2_(新实用汉语课本2)" title="wikilink">New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2)</a> (pp. 238-9) <a href="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</a></li>
- <li><a href="40_Lessons_for_Basic_Chinese_Course_(基础汉语40课上册）" title="wikilink">40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）</a> (p. 255)<a href="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</a></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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