Using 着/著 zhe to emphasize ongoing duration or an ongoing state in the present time 34.4
34.4 Using 着/著 zhe to emphasize ongoing duration or
an ongoing state in the present time
Open-ended action verbs may be suffixed with 着/著 zhe to emphasize ongoing duration at
the present time. 着/著 zhe often co-occurs with 在 zài, 正在 zhèngzài, and /or 呢 ne.他在说着话呢。
他在說著話呢。
Tā zài shuōzhe huà ne.
He is speaking.
Change-of-state verbs that describe posture or placement such as 站 zhàn ‘to stand,’ 坐 zuò
‘to sit,’ 躺 tǎng ‘to lie,’ 存 cún ‘to save/to deposit,’ 放 fàng ‘to put /to place,’ 挂/掛 guà
‘to hang,’ and 停 tíng ‘to park’ may be suffixed with 着/著 zhe to indicate that the state is
ongoing in the present time. 呢 ne may occur at the end of the sentence.谁在门口站着？
誰在門口站著？
Shéi zài ménkǒu zhànzhe?
Who is standing at the door?客人在客厅里坐着呢。
客人在客廳裏坐著呢。
Kèren zài kètīng lǐ zuòzhe ne.
The guests are sitting in the living room.病人在床上躺着。
病人在床上躺著。
Bìngrén zài chuángshàng tǎngzhe.
The patient is lying on the bed.我们的钱都在银行里存着呢。
我們的錢都在銀行裏存著呢。
Wǒmen de qián dōu zài yínháng lǐ cúnzhe ne.
All of our money is (saved) in the bank.那张画在墙上挂着呢。
那張畫在牆上掛著呢。
Nà zhāng huà zài qiáng shàng guàzhe ne.
That painting is hanging on the wall.我的书在哪儿放着呢？
我的書在哪兒放著呢？
Wǒ de shū zài nǎr fàngzhe ne?
Where is my book? (Where is my book placed?)我的车在停车场停着呢。
我的車在停車場停著呢。
Wǒ de chē zài tíngchēchǎng tíngzhe ne.
My car is parked in the parking lot.C25.3.3, 17.2, 39.2