experiential aspect
17.3
17.3 experiential aspect
Experiential aspect focuses on an action that has occurred in the past and signals that it is
relevant to the current discourse. Mandarin marks experiential aspect with the verb suffix 过/過
guo. 过/過 guo immediately follows the verb and typically occurs in neutral tone. It can
only be used with action verbs, and conveys the meaning that the subject has done the action
before.
我看过那个电影。
我看過那個電影。
Wǒ kànguo nàge diànyǐng.
I have seen that movie before.
我来过这里。
我來過這裏。
Wǒ láiguo zhèli.
I have been here before.
The experiential suffix 过/過 guo is appropriate in the following circumstances:
- when talking about actions that the subject does not perform on a regular basis:
我去过中国。
我去過中國。
Wǒ qùguo Zhōngguó.
I’ve been to China before. (I have had the experience of going to China.)
- when talking about actions that happened in the remote past:
我小的时候听过那个故事。
我小的時候聽過那個故事。
Wǒ xiǎo de shíhou tīngguo nàge gùshi.
When I was small (young), I heard that story.
- when talking about actions that are repeatable:
我登过万里长城。
我登過萬里長城。
Wǒ dēngguo Wànlǐ Chángchéng.
I climbed the Great Wall.
Actions that are not repeatable cannot be suffixed with 过/過 guo.
Say this Do not say this
她高中毕业了。 *她高中毕业过。
她高中畢業了。 她高中畢業過。
Tā gāozhōng bìyè le. Tā gāozhōng bìyè guo.
She graduated high school.
A verb can be suffixed with both experiential 过/過 guo and perfective 了 le. When it is, 过/過
guo precedes 了 le. The meaning conveyed is that the subject has experienced the action of the
verb and that the entire event is viewed in its entirety as closed and bounded.
那部电影我已经看过了，不要再看了。
那部電影我已經看過了，不要再看了。
Nà bù diànyǐng wǒ yǐjing kànguo le, bù yào zài kàn le.
I’ve already seen that movie before. I don’t want to see it again.
