HSKReadyGet the appHSK 2 · Word classes › Particles › Aspect particles
HSK 2 Aspect Particle 着: Expressing Ongoing States and Postures
着 (zhe) follows a verb and presents a situation as continuing. This lesson focuses on maintained postures, states such as an open door, and a background action accompanying another action. 着 is not limited to motionless scenes, and English “-ing” is not limited to physical activity either.
教室的门开着。
Shows the continuing state of the door after someone opened it.
× 哥哥从早上八点离开着家。
离开着家 does not naturally express “has been away from home” here. State the departure and, if needed, the continuing absence separately, as in the following example.
Corrected example: 哥哥早上八点就离开家了，到现在还没回来。
Read the full explanation and examples
Core Function: Describing a Continuing State
In the HSK 2 grammar outline, 着 (zhe) is classified under word classes as an aspect particle (动态助词). In Mandarin, aspect particles show the internal stage of an action rather than tense. When 着 is placed immediately after a verb, it indicates that an action or condition is continuing, or that the state resulting from an action remains unchanged.
Think of 着 as taking a still photograph of a scene. Opening a door is a quick action, but once the door has been opened, it stays open. Putting on a coat takes a moment, but wearing it lasts for hours. Mandarin uses Verb + 着 to capture that steady state.
教室的门开着。
Shows the continuing state of the door after someone opened it.
今天很冷，她穿着一件大衣。
Describes the ongoing state of having clothing on one's body.
老师手里拿着一本书。
Places 着 directly after the verb 拿 and before the object 一本书.
Using 着 for Postures and Accompanying Manner
A very common pattern places Verb 1 + 着 before a second main verb. In this structure, the first verb describes the posture, facial expression, or background manner in which the subject performs the main action.
Common verbs in the first slot include posture verbs like sitting, standing, or lying down, as well as expression verbs like smiling. The particle 着 stays glued to the first verb, even if a short object follows it.
学生们坐着听课。
Uses 坐着 to describe the posture maintained during the main action 听课.
他笑着对我说谢谢。
Uses 笑着 to show the facial expression accompanying the act of speaking.
Useful Contrast: 着 vs. 在 and 正在
For the clothing pair below, 正在穿 presents the process of getting dressed, while 穿着 presents the clothing as being worn. This is a useful contrast for this verb, not a complete static-versus-dynamic division between the markers.
- 在/正在 before a predicate highlights the situation as in progress at the reference time. It is not restricted to physically moving actions.
- 着 follows a verb and can present a maintained state or an accompanying activity. 笑着说 and 跑着去 involve activity, so 着 does not mean “nothing is moving”.
- The two can occur together, as in 他正在笑着说话 (“He is speaking with a smile”). Read the construction and the verb’s meaning rather than choosing solely by whether the scene moves.
他正在穿衣服，马上就出来。
Contrasts with 穿着: 正在穿 focuses on the active motion of getting dressed.
Compare this active motion with the earlier coat example. When someone is in the middle of getting dressed, use 正在穿. Once the clothes are on their body, use 穿着.
Limits, Negation, and Common Learner Mistakes
Because 着 requires a state or posture that can be sustained over a stretch of time, it cannot attach to every verb. Instantaneous verbs—actions that finish the very moment they happen, such as leaving, arriving, dying, or beginning—cannot be held in an ongoing posture.
× 哥哥从早上八点离开着家。
离开着家 does not naturally express “has been away from home” here. State the departure and, if needed, the continuing absence separately, as in the following example.
Corrected example: 哥哥早上八点就离开家了，到现在还没回来。
哥哥早上八点就离开家了，到现在还没回来。
Use 离开家了 for the departure and 还没回来 for the continuing absence. Replacing 着 with 了 alone would not preserve the “still away” information.
In the incorrect sentence above, the speaker wants to say that the older brother left home at eight o'clock and has been gone since then. However, leaving (离开) is an instant boundary crossing, not a continuous posture. To express a completed departure, use 了 instead.
When negating a state with 着, place 没 (or 没有) before the verb, while keeping 着 attached to the verb. In everyday conversation, speakers also frequently drop 着 and simply say that an action did not happen or state the opposite condition.
房间里的窗户没开着。
Negates the ongoing state by placing 没 before the verb 开 while retaining 着.
Frequently asked questions
Does 着 go after the verb or at the end of the sentence?
着 always goes immediately after the verb. If the verb has an object, such as a coat or a book, 着 stays between the verb and the object.
How is the aspect particle 着 pronounced?
When used as an aspect particle to mark an ongoing state, 着 is pronounced in the neutral tone (zhe).
How does 着 differ from 了?
了 marks the completion or realization of an action or a change of state, whereas 着 focuses on a posture or state remaining steady and unchanged over time.
