着/著

zhe

aspectual particle

Common errors

The aspectual particle 着/著 is used to express the existence in a place or to describe a persistent state resulting from the action of the verb, an action in progress or an accompanying action.

1. Incorrect position

When expressing an accompanying action, learners might place the two verbs in the wrong position.

2. Omission error

Learners might forget to use 着/著 when indicating the existence of somebody or something.

When expressing an accompanying action, learners might forget to place 着/著 after the first verb that describes the manner or state of the second action.

3. Addition error


Learners might combine 着/著 with wrong elements, such as direction complements.

4. 着/著 with inappropriate verbs

着/著 cannot be used with verbs not indicating duration. It is usually not used with verbs describing a state like 是. However, there are a few exceptions. If the verbs describing a state are preceded by the adverbs 在, 正, 正在 or 一直, they can be paired with 着/著. Examples of such verbs include 病, 饿/餓, 困, 醉, 爱/愛 and 恨.

5. Misuse of 着/著 in place of 的 or direction complements

Learners might misuse 着/著 in place of 的 or direction complements.

6. Confusion between the aspectual particles 着/著, 了1 and 过/過

In sentences describing the existence or presence of something or someone in a place or location, the use of 着/著 and 了1 has a different semantic focus.

桌子上放着一本书。/ 桌子上放著一本書。
There is a book on the table.
(The focus is on the persistent state resulting from the action of the verb “to place”.)

桌子上放了一本书。/ 桌子上放了一本書。
A book has been placed on the table.
(The focus is on the completion of the action of placing something somewhere.)

The aspectual particle 着/著 is used when two events occur at the same time, but there is a main event and a background event which describes the manner or state of the second action, and the first action does not need to be completed before the second.

Moreover, the learners might erroneously use 着/著 instead of 了1 when time-measure complements follow the verb.

7. Confusion between 在 and 着/著

Learners might confuse 在 and 着/著 because both can describe ongoing situations. However, 在 followed by a verb describes an action actively happening at that moment; while a verb followed by 着/著 describes a persistent state resulting from the action of the verb.

她穿着一件红色的衣服。/ 她穿著一件紅色的衣服。
She is wearing a red shirt.
(This sentence describes a persistent state: she is already dressed in red, and the action of putting on the shirt is not happening at that moment.)

她在穿一件红色的衣服。/ 她在穿一件紅色的衣服。
She is putting on a red shirt.
(This sentence describes an action in progress: she is in the middle of putting on the red shirt right now.)

8. Confusion between 着/著 and the 一边/一邊…… 一边/一邊…… structure

The learners might confuse 着/著 and 一边/一邊……一边/一邊…… because both structures describe two simultaneous actions. However, in a sentence where the first verb is followed by 着/著 and a second verb follows, the first verb describes a background state or accompanying action, while the second verb is the main action.

他们听着音乐看电视。/ 他們聽著音樂看電視。
They are watching TV while listening to music.
(In this sentence, the focus is on watching TV, and listening to music is just something happening in the background.)

In the 一边/一邊……一边/一邊…… structure, two verbs follow each 一边/一邊, representing two equally important actions happening at the same time.

他们一边听音乐，一边看电视。/ 他們一邊聽音樂，一邊看電視。
They are listening to music and watching TV (at the same time).
(In this sentence, listening to music and watching TV are treated as equally important and simultaneous actions.)