Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 着
着 (zhe) is a particle used to indicate the continuous aspect of a situation.
We can also use it to express the existence, appearance, or disappearance of someone or something.
The meaning of existential structure is similar to the ‘There is’ structure in English.
HOW TO USE 着 | BASIC STRUCTURE
We often pair 着 with stative verbs in existential structures to express that someone or something exists, and there is a continuous state.
PATTERN
Place + Verb + 着 + [Noun Phrase]
- Verb: Unlike action verbs, the verb here describes a state such as sitting, standing, or lying
- Noun Phrase: Something or Somebody
餐桌上放着一个苹果派。
There is an apple pie on the table.墙上挂着一个钟表。
There is a clock on the wall.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 教室里站着一个学生。 | jiào shì lǐ zhàn zhe yí gè xué shēng . | There is a student standing in the classroom. |
| 田野里种着成片的稻谷。 | tián yě lǐ zhǒng zhe chéng piàn de dào gǔ . | There are patches of rice planted in the fields. |
| 地下室里堆着许多旧东西。 | dì xià shì lǐ duī zhe xǔ duō jiù dōng xī . | There is lots of old stuff piled up in the basement. |
| 路边停着几辆轿车。 | lù biān tíng zhe jǐ liàng jiào chē . | There are several cars parked on the side of the road. |
| 窗台上摆着两盆花。 | chuāng tái shàng bǎi zhe liǎng pén huā . | There are two pots of flowers on the windowsill. |
Note that in English we sometimes use a verb in its “-ing” form, and sometimes use the passive “-ed” form of the verb.
EXPRESSING EXISTENCE 是 WITH
“是” is also often used in alternative existing sentences to indicate the location or area.
It’s worth noting that there’s no real time indication for 是 structure. It could be setting a scene in a story (in the past) or describing the current state of things (in the present).
PATTERN
Place + 是 + [Noun Phrase]
Let’s look at the following two sentences:
- 盒子里是一条项链。
- 盒子里放着一条项链。
Comparing the two examples, they both mean “there’s a necklace inside the box.” However, there’s a slight difference between the sentences.
In the first sentence, the object (项链) that comes after 是 is the only thing (worth mentioning) in that area.
In other words, if you use 是 in the sentence, that indicates, “There is nothing in the box other than the necklace.”
桌子上是昨天没吃完的菜。
The food that was left over from yesterday is on the table.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 抽屉里是几个笔记本。 | chōu tì lǐ shì jǐ gè bǐ jì běn | There are some notebooks in the drawer. |
| 书包里是我的作业。 | shū bāo lǐ shì wǒ de zuò yè | My homework is in the bag. |
| 墙上是她和家人的照片。 | qiáng shàng shì tā hé jiā rén de zhào piān | There are pictures of her and her family on the wall. |
| 箱子里是给你的礼物。 | xiāng zi lǐ shì gěi nǐ de lǐ wù | Your gift is in the box. |
| 洗衣机里是一些脏衣服。 | xǐ yī jī lǐ shì yī xiē zàng yī fú | There are dirty clothes inside the washing machine. |
You should also note that 是 is used to describe a singular object existing somewhere, while 有 can refer to multiple objects/people.
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FAQs
What is 着?
着 is a particle used to indicated the continuous aspect of a situation.
We can also use it to express the existence, appearance, or disappearance of someone or something.
What is the sentence structure with 着?
We often pair 着 with stative verbs in existential structures to express that someone or something exists, and there is a continuous state. The structure is as follows.
Place + Verb + 着 + [Noun Phrase]
Verb: Unlike action verbs, the verb here describes a state such as sitting, standing, or lying
Noun Phrase: Something or Somebody
Some examples of sentences with 着?
餐桌上放着一个苹果派。| There is an apple pie on the table.
教室里站着一个学生。| There is a student standing in the classroom.
墙上挂着一个钟表。| There is a clock on the wall.
How else to express existence in Chinese?
“是” is also often used in alternative existing sentences to indicate the location or area.
It’s worth noting that there’s no real time indication for 是 structure. It could be setting a scene in a story (in the past) or describing the current state of things (in the present).
The sentence structure is:
Place + 是 + [Noun Phrase]
桌子上是昨天没吃完的菜。| The food that was left over from yesterday is on the table.
书包里是我的作业。| My homework is in the bag.
箱子里是给你的礼物。| Your gift is in the bow.
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