Level 4 · Lesson 9

了、过、着
了, 过 and 着

穿了、穿过、穿着——三个字，三个问题。

One verb with 了, 过 and 着 gives three different answers — and most sentences need none of them.

听 · Listen

对话
 李明 —  安娜，你今天穿着一件新衣服。 
Anna, you've got a new jacket on today.  
 安娜 —  是，我昨天买了这件衣服。 
Yes — I bought it yesterday.  
 李明 —  很好看！你穿过中国的衣服吗？ 
It looks great! Have you ever worn Chinese clothes?  
 安娜 —  没穿过。以后我买一件。 
Never. I'll buy one some day.  
 李明 —  你带了我的词典吗？ 
Did you bring my dictionary?  
 安娜 —  带了，我拿着呢。 
I did — I've got it right here.  
 李明 —  谢谢！桌子上放着一本书，那是谁的？ 
Thanks! There's a book on the table — whose is it?  
 安娜 —  是我的。我的帽子也在门上挂着呢。 
Mine. My hat is hanging on the door as well.  

讲解 · Explanation

我穿了新衣服。我穿过中国的衣服。我穿着新衣服。

One verb, three particles, three different questions. 穿了 answers 'did it happen?' — the putting-on is complete. 穿过 answers 'have you ever?' — somewhere in my life I have worn them, with no date attached. 穿着 answers 'what does it look like right now?' — the clothes are on me, a state you could photograph. Not one of the three is a tense: 明天我吃了饭就去学校 is entirely about tomorrow, and 了 is still there.

我常常穿黑色的衣服。明天我买一件新的。

Just as important: most Chinese sentences carry no aspect particle at all. A habit takes none (我常常穿黑色的), a plan takes none (明天我买一件新的), a general truth takes none (长城很长). Add 了, 过 or 着 only when you actually mean 'it got done', 'I have ever' or 'it is still like that'. Beginners sprinkle 了 over everything; the cure is to ask which of the three questions you are answering, and if the answer is none of them, leave the verb bare.

我拿着词典，我带了钱。门上挂着我的帽子。

拿, 带, 放 and 挂 are the four everyday handling verbs, and each of them shows the split cleanly. 拿了 is 'took it', 拿着 is 'holding it at this moment'. 带了钱 is 'brought money along', 带着钱 is 'has money on him right now'. And after a place word, 放着 and 挂着 hold a still life in place: 桌子上放着一本书, 门上挂着我的帽子.

生词 · Vocabulary

词	Meaning	注 · Note
穿	to wear, to put on (clothes, shoes)	穿衣服, 穿鞋
拿	to take, to hold in the hand	我拿着词典
带	to bring, to carry with you	带了钱
放	to put, to place, to leave lying	桌子上放着一本书
挂	to hang	门上挂着帽子

练习 · Practice

我______中国的衣服。 I have worn Chinese clothes at some time in my life.

他现在______一件新衣服。 He has a new jacket on right now.

我没穿______红色的衣服。 I have never worn red clothes.

排一排。 Arrange the words: 'I've got the dictionary right here.'

穿、拿、带、放、挂 Match each verb to its meaning.

用一用 · Use it

我今天穿着黑色的衣服。我昨天买了一件新衣服。我没穿过红色的衣服。

Take one verb you use every day — 穿, 拿 or 带 — and say it three times aloud, once with each particle: the event (…了), the experience (…过), the state right now (…着). Then say a fourth sentence about a habit, with no particle at all, and listen to how much lighter that one is. That fourth sentence is the commonest kind of Chinese there is.