过: have you ever…?
我去过北京: 过 after a verb means you have done it at some time. 没…过 for never; 过 vs 了.
Part of the free A2 Chinese course (about HSK 3). Examples are in Simplified characters with pinyin; press the speaker to hear one with your device's Chinese voice.
过 (guo) = have done it at some point
English says I've been to Beijing or Have you ever tried Peking duck? to talk about experience: something that has happened at least once in your life, at no particular time. Chinese puts 过 (guo, neutral tone) straight after the verb:
- 我去过北京。(Wǒ qù guo Běijīng.)I've been to Beijing.
- 你吃过北京烤鸭吗？(Nǐ chī guo Běijīng kǎoyā ma?)Have you ever had Peking duck?
- 他以前在银行工作过。(Tā yǐqián zài yínháng gōngzuò guo.)He used to work in a bank.
| Subject | Verb + 过 | Object | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我 (wǒ) | 去过 (qù guo) | 上海 (Shànghǎi) | I've been to Shanghai. |
| 她 (tā) | 学过 (xué guo) | 日语 (Rìyǔ) | She has studied Japanese. |
| 你 (nǐ) | 看过 (kàn guo) | 这个电影吗？(zhè gè diànyǐng ma?) | Have you seen this film? |
过 sits between the verb and the object, exactly where 了 goes in 了: a completed action.
Never: 没(有) + verb + 过
The negative is 没 or 没有 before the verb, and, unlike 了, 过 stays. Add 从来 (cónglái, ever) for a strong "never ever".
- 我没看过这个电影。(Wǒ méi kàn guo zhè gè diànyǐng.)I've never seen this film.
- 我从来没喝过白酒。(Wǒ cónglái méi hē guo báijiǔ.)I've never drunk baijiu.
Never 不 with 过: an experience is about the past, so it takes 没 (不 or 没: two ways to say 'not').
Asking and answering
Ask with 吗, or end with 没有 (méiyǒu) = "or not". Answer by repeating the verb with 过:
- 你去过上海没有？(Nǐ qù guo Shànghǎi méiyǒu?)Have you ever been to Shanghai?
- Yes: 去过。(Qù guo.)
- No: 没去过。(Méi qù guo.)
To say how many times, put the number after 过: 我去过两次 = I've been twice (How many times: 次, 遍, 下).
过 or 了?
Both are about the past, but they say different things:
| 了 (le) | 过 (guo) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it tells you | this action happened and is done | you have this experience |
| 他去了上海。 | He went to Shanghai (and may still be there). | |
| 他去过上海。 | He has been to Shanghai (and has come back). |
Because 过 is about an experience, it often implies the situation is over: 我们见过面 (wǒmen jiàn guo miàn) = we've met before; 他在北京住过 = he once lived in Beijing (he doesn't now).
Verbs with a built-in object
Some verbs are really verb + object: 游泳 (yóuyǒng, swim), 见面 (jiànmiàn, meet), 吃饭 (chī fàn). 过 goes after the verb part:
- 我们见过面。(Wǒmen jiàn guo miàn.)We've met before.
You'll hear 我吃过了 (Wǒ chī guo le) as an answer to 你吃饭了吗？ There 过 means "already done", not "ever": I've already eaten.
Common mistakes
我不去过日本。→ 我没去过日本。Experiences take 没, never 不.我没去过了。→ 我没去过。No 了 after 没.我去北京过。→ 我去过北京。过 goes straight after the verb, before the object.我游泳过。→ 我游过泳。With a verb that has a built-in object, 过 goes after the verb part.他去过中国，现在还在那儿。→ 他去了中国，现在还在那儿。If he is still there, use 了: 过 suggests the trip is over.
Practice
- 我吃_____饺子，很好吃。(Wǒ chī ___ jiǎozi, hěn hǎochī.)Options: 过 (guo) · 着 (zhe) · 在 (zài)
Show the answer
过 (guo) — An experience: verb + 过.
- Rewrite in the negative: 我去过香港。(Wǒ qù guo Xiānggǎng.)
Show the answer
我没去过香港 — 没(有) + verb + 过: 过 stays in the negative.
- Which sentence means 'I've never studied French'?Options: 我没学过法语。(Wǒ méi xué guo Fǎyǔ.) · 我没学了法语。(Wǒ méi xué le Fǎyǔ.) · 我不学过法语。(Wǒ bù xué guo Fǎyǔ.)
Show the answer
我没学过法语。(Wǒ méi xué guo Fǎyǔ.) — 没 + verb + 过. 了 disappears after 没, and 过 never takes 不.
- 他去年去_____中国，现在还在那儿。(Tā qùnián qù ___ Zhōngguó, xiànzài hái zài nàr.)Options: 了 (le) · 过 (guo) · 着 (zhe)
Show the answer
了 (le) — He's still there, so use 了. 去过 would suggest the trip is over and he has come back.