tense/aspect

日本へ来る時、中国の空港でパスポートを見せました。 なぜ「見せました」を使う一方、「来る」を使いますか？

what did they mean to use くる in the past time? I think くる in this sentence is supposed to be in past tense, right ? then why did they use くる here ? 戦後、経済の高度成長とともに、生活にも少し余裕ができてくると、欧米の生活様式や考え方がたくさん入ってきた。

Hi, I read this paragraph in a section of Minna no Nihongo: "せっかく３０分も早く行ったのに、約束の時間に遅れるし、友人には買いたくないなら、絶対にそんなことを言ってはいけないと注意されるし、大変な一日だった。" I understand the context used in the verbs 遅れる and 注意される is in the past, since it's referring to something that has already happened. The thing is, I don't...

皆今日は！ I'm currently learning about the verbs ある and いる and their usages, and I'm having some trouble grasping their auxiliary uses. This grammar states that the continuous form is obtained by attaching いる to the て-form of a TRANSITIVE verb. Okay. But... What happens with intransitive verbs...

Hi, Somehow I'm still confused between the use of dictionary form and progressive form of verbs when talking about general actions/habits. Which form should be used, or if both are OK, which sounds more natural? E.g. - よこその本屋に行くの。 - よくその本屋に行っているの。 - いつも買うブランドは今日もうなくなった。 -...

大家好！ I was writing the following sentence in the thread "说明白": 其实我可能没明白了这些句子的意思！ and fyl was nice and pointed out that the word 了 here does not sound right and should be omitted. Is this because it is a negative sentence? (can 了 sometimes appear in negative sentences or usually not at all?)...

Is there any way to say "I am going to China?" Because from what I've seen, there are a few verbs that don't translate over the same. For example: 私は起きています！("I am being awake -> I am awake") 父母は東京に住んでいます。(Mom and dad are living in Tokyo -> Mom and dad live in Tokyo) These, I can understand how...

I'm having a little trouble discerning the difference between the bottom two examples, I guess it's because tenses in Japanese work different than in English. A) 犬はもう死んだ B) 犬は死んでいる So my questions are: 1) Don't these both mean the dog is dead? What are the nuances behind it? 2) Is there a way...

Hi,guys! [He`s been playing the violin since he was 5] Can you translate it into Chinese,please?

各位好： 你如何理解这两句话的区别： 昨天，我遇到了某某某。 昨天，我遇到某某某了。 翻译成英语，能将差别翻译出来么？我觉得好像都是 I met xxx yesterday.

Hello! Once I was told that when there is an adverbial of time indicating past tense ，like 昨天 in a sentence, 了 might be ommitted in some cases. Could you help me to find any example of such sentence? Every time I try to think of any, 了 always occurs...:) Thank you!

I am wondering if this negation [沒有] by itself expresses a past tense or a completed action . So can we say 我没有去上班 without adding any adverb and understand I didn't go to work. If so can 有 be omitted ? Thanks for your help.

Hello, In these two sentences 姐姐借回来两本书。 姐姐借回两本书来。Isn't it necessary the particle 了 any more? Thank you.

Hello, Last year we finished the course studying the particle 了 and the teacher gave us this example 我去了上海，在那里认识了很多人。 Nevertheless, this year, the title of the first lesson was 她去上海了, so I don't have very clear the position of the particle 了 in the bold sentences. Thank you very much.

Hi,guys! Please,help me to translate into Chinese the two sentences: I`ve been looking for this book for three hours Yesterday I looked for this book for three hours Thanks.

Hello/大家好， I recently heard the following on TV: “。。。就想让孩子们过上好日子” What is the function of 上 here? Can the word 上 be omitted? Is 过好日子 an "abbreviation" of 过上好日子? Thanks!

Hello, I've found the following sentence on the "goo" dictionary and this construction struck me as somewhat different. Then I googled and found it online as well as "見て過ごします". I would like to know if both express the same idea. テレビを見ながら (時を) 過ごした I spent [passed] my time watching television...

Hi I'm trying to figure out how to use the particle 了 for finished events. I thought a logical use would be to use it when asking when somebody died. The translators, however, suggest a different formulation (他是什么时候死的?) Is there a way to ask for the same information using 了? Thanks in advance G.

Hi everyone, I have come across with a different use of "了" as I stated in the title and need you opinions on that. Please see the following examples: "一到聚光燈打在了李探長的身上。" "...炸彈已經被我安放在了公安局大樓裡。" Source: chinesepod.com Well I would normally put "了" either at the end of the sentence or...

大家好： Another question. Again while poring over my grammar book, I found very interesting the explanation of a situation when not to use 了： 病句的例子：他听了这个好消息的时候，高兴得跳了起来。 根据课本的逻辑，应该把了改成见、到因为这两个补语都表示遭受到什么。 I wanted to know whether this meaning holds true in native speakers' minds and to what extent.

I'm really ashamed that i have to ask you a very basic question like this, but I, having studied Chinese for one year, cannot yet figure out the meaning of 了. 我吃了午饭。I ate lunch. 我吃午饭。I eat lunch. However, things do not seem that easy, as I have seen other examples in which 了 is used to express...

Okay so I have a question: I know that 着 can be used to show something that a continuous action occurring at the time of speaking i.e. 他正在念着 or 他在床躺着。 However can you use it to show a continuous state of affairs? i.e. 我舅妈学着用电脑 or 他的汉语/口语改进着。 In these two examples the action is occurring over...

你好, Imagine you are supposed to meet a friend, you wait, and they do not show up. You put on your jacket, rise from where you are sitting, and suddenly, there they are. Would you say? 1 我即将离开 2 我正要离开 There are plenty of hits for both, but even more for 2. My guess is that 2 is more informal...

我吃了饭 ==> 了 is an auxiliary (助词) indicating a perfective aspect. 我吃了饭就去找你 :tick: 我吃饭了 ==> 了 is a modal particle (语气词) expressing an affirmative mood (肯定语气). 我吃饭了就去找你 :cross: ==> Evidence that it does not indicate a tense. Yeah, why not *他死了了? Apparently there is an unspoken rule regarding...

Hello :) Well this is my first post, and I would like to be assisted with the next sentence. 我回了短信。(wo hui le duanxin) Is "回" well used in that sentence? 谢谢！

Hello/大家好! I have a question related to a sentence I heard on a TV show today (大男当婚）. (This is a scene in which the 男主角徐峥 is explaining to a girl his feelings about their relationship and why he had to borrow a house/car in order to impress her)...

大家好！ I am fairly new to learning Chinese, and so I would like your help in understanding the difference between '过' and '了' to denote actions in the past tense. I understand that guo indicates more of a 'I have done...' where as le indicates 'I did'. Is this nearly correct? Also, for an...

Hi all. I need to translate this phrase using the particle 着 but I'm not sure how to do it. Here are some attempts: 我们走着路去学校。。。 我们走路去着学校。。。 我们走着到学校。。。 What do you think? Thanks!

Hello/大家好, I have a question about the expression "过着". Here is the context: "总之结婚生子，象所有的人一样，就这样过着。" In short, getting married and having kids is just like it is for everyone: _________(就这样过着)" Would the word 着 be read zhe0 or zhao2? I was thinking zhe0 but did not think an "-ing" would be...

Hi everybody, I've read the sentence “妈妈钓着了一条大鱼。” and I was wondering how 着 is supposed to be pronounced here. Is it zháo as in “他睡着了” or zhe as in “接着，……”? Also: would the translation be "Mom managed to catch a big fish." or simply "Mom caught a big fish."? Thanks!

Is it common throughout China to use the suffix "了" after a verb to indicate an action in progress? I live in South China and am used to hearing people speak this way. They say "我吃饭了" to mean "I am eating". Or, they say "我来了" to mean "I'm coming". My brain accepts this with difficulty...

Is there any difference between these two? 这两个有没有区别？ Thanks!

I know that "了" is a tricky topic and that we've got many threads on it, so I'd just like some confirmation that the sentence cited below definitely requires a 了. Do you think it sounds odd as it is (without 了)? 昨天我在街上遇见一个很久没看见的老朋友。 Many thanks, PS: I've just found another similar sentence...

你们好, -孩子在玩。 -孩子玩着。 -男人在尝米饭。 -男人尝着米饭。 -女人在闻花。 -女人闻着花。 Is there a difference between the sentences in each pair? According to a grammar exercise that I saw, there must be a difference. 谢谢,

Hello, I have a grammar source that says the following: The book lists the verb 穿 chuān among the "change-of-state" verbs. But in another place I saw the following sentence: zhe4 ge nu3 ren2 chuan1 zhe xie2 zi So the suffix zhe was added to chuān. What is correct?

大家好， 我想理解这个句子里面的“退了色”这个词是不是经常用的？ 这个意思还有没有别的可以用表达出来的办法呢？ 她披着褪了色的粉红色披肩。 She wore a stained pink robe. 谢谢大家

Hi all, I've posted this question in another forum before but I couldn't really understand the explanation. I read in a book that says when we use ~たら for a past tense clause, it means "when". So for example 「喫茶店に行ったら、鈴木さんに出会った。」 means "When I went to the coffee shop, I saw Suzuki. I'm...

Hello, I searched the forum and also some grammar books, but I couldn't find an answer for this one. Why is it that people say or ? I thought if the verb itself was a "verb + object" type of structure, the duration would be placed between the verb and the object (or the verb would be...

I've been wondering how to express the end of an action. All I've found is pretty much like this: 食べあがる 食べきれる 食べ終える I'm not sure if they're right under most circumstances. Would I do it right by just putting these after the torso of a verb? Your help is always appreciated. ありがとうございます。

My Japanese is pretty rusty, but when I took Japanese 20 years ago, the teacher said there is a difference between the following sentences. Can anyone explain the difference? - 雨傘は 開けています - 雨傘は 開けてあります I am trying to say "the umbrella is open/has been opened". Thanks!

He is getting married. 彼は結婚してきている。 He is married. 彼は結婚している。 From what I understand the -ている form, either shows: an action in progress or a change in state. But for instance, the sentence in english: She is thin/skinny is this in japanese: 彼女は痩せています。 However the sentence: She is losing weight...

Hello guys, Some days ago I wrote in Japanese trying to use some new grammar rules I have learnt so far. However, native speakers said me I was wrong in using「てある」but I cannot understand why. The original period is the following one : 「家を出かける前に、全てのまどを閉めました。でも、うちに帰ったとき、まどを開けてありました」...

HI, I'm having difficulties with understanding the difference between the structures: verb+着 and (正)在+verb+呢. For example, 他在看着报 and 他在看报呢. Do the two structures mean 'being in the middle of doing something'?What is the difference between them?

I don't know how to understand the 知る in these two sentences. 1. From here, the last picture: 世間の厳しさを知る黒猫だった。 2. From 小学館漢和辞典：自分の能力の限界を知る Why don't we use 知った・知っている? よろしくお願いします。

The translation of it is " please look at it before you go". I am wondering where the meaning of "before" came out?

大家好! I have a question regarding the use of 了 in the following setnences. I believe I have used it right, but would like confirmation. 我學了中文 - I studied Chinese. 我學中文了 - Now I study Chinese (but I didn't before - its a change). 我學了中文了 - I studied Chinese and am still studying it (it didn't...

這個字怎麼用? 我不理解它的意思..有一些規則可以幫我知道我應該用什麼時候? How do you use this word? I don't understand its meaning.. are there rules that define when it should be used? 謝謝!

こんにちは 私が書いた次の例文に関して動詞の時制の疑問があるんですが、確認していただけますか？　文脈は簡単だと思います。 a:　「ごめん」ぐらい言わなかったの？ b:　言ってない。　(言わなかった？） 過去について話すときは、「－なかった」という型も、「－ていない」という型も使うことがあるんですよね。　それで、上の例文はどう言えばいいか分かりません。。 よろしくお願いします

I am a beginner learning Chinese and am starting to experiment with tenses (past, present, future). I am hoping that someone in the WR Community can help me express the idea of going shopping for groceries. I would also be interested to hear the distinction between 杂货店. / 市场 (záhuòdiàn /...

1. How does the meaning change if 正 is omitted in the following sentence? 这个女人正在车里跟男人说话。 2. So far, I've always seen 正在 being followed by a noun-place, sometimes with 里, sometimes without it. How does the meaning change if 里 is omitted in the sentence above? 3. Can 正 be added to the following...