Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

durative aspect

17.2

overlap between perfective aspect in Mandarin and past tense in English, especially in simple

affirmative sentences. But there are many times when perfective aspect and past tense do not

overlap. Here are the major differences between tense in English and perfective aspect in

Mandarin.

• Perfective aspect is only a feature of action verbs. Stative verbs, adjectival verbs, and modal
  verbs cannot be followed by perfective 了 le. In English, tense is a feature of all verbs.


• Perfective aspect is only a feature of verbs in affirmative form. In English, tense is a fea-
  ture of verbs in affirmative and negative sentences.


• In narrative sequence sentences, perfective aspect can occur in the first clause to signal
  sequence. In English, the verbs in sequence sentences are marked for relative tense, not
  sequence.

17.2 Durative aspect

Durative aspect focuses on the internal structure of a situation and signals that it is ongoing.

Mandarin marks durative aspect in two ways, with the verb suffix 着/著 zhe, and with

pre-verbal 在 zài or 正在 zhèngzài. Sentences with durative aspect often end with the final

particle 呢 ne.

着/著 zhe and 在 zài/正在 zhèngzài focus on different types of duration. 着/著 zhe indicates

that a verb describes a continuous situation. We will refer to it here as the durative suffix. 在

zài and 正在 zhèngzài focus on the progression of a situation over time. 正在 zhèngzài focuses

on the progression of a situation that is happening now, and can often be translated as ‘right

now.’ 在 zài and 正在 zhèngzài are sometimes referred to as progressive markers, and we will

use that term here. Durative and progressive aspect markers can sometimes occur together to

describe a situation, but there are times when only one or the other is appropriate.

C17.2.3

17.2.1 Progressive markers

The progressive markers 在 zài and 正在 zhèngzài usually occur with open-ended action verbs,

since actions can progress over time. 在 zài can also occur with certain adjectival verbs. See

17.2.3. 在 zài and 正在 zhèngzài immediately precede the verb phrase, including any prepos-

itional phrase associated with the verb, and they can only occur in the main clause of a sentence.

subject 在 zài verb phrase (呢 ne)

他们在学习中文。

他們在學習中文。

Tāmen zài xuéxí Zhōngwén.

They are (in the middle of ) studying Chinese.

他还在穿衣服呢。

他還在穿衣服呢。

Tā hái zài chuān yīfú ne.

He is still getting dressed. (He is still putting on clothes.)

我同屋在睡觉呢。

我同屋在睡覺呢。

Wǒ tóngwū zài shuì jiào ne.

My roommate is sleeping.

他们正在做作业呢。

他們正在做作業呢。

Tāmen zhèngzài zuò zuòyè ne.

They are doing homework right now.