ASPecT
17.4
The negation of verb-过/過 guo is 没/沒(有) méi(yǒu) + verb- 过/過 guo.
我没看过那部电影。
我沒看過那部電影。
Wǒ méi kànguo nà bù diànyǐng.
I have not seen that movie before.
我没来过这里。
我沒來過這裏。
Wǒ méi láiguo zhèli.
I have not been here before.
我没登过万里长城。
我沒登過萬里長城。
Wǒ méi dēngguo Wànlǐ Chángchéng.
I have not climbed the Great Wall before.
To ask whether the subject has performed an action before, ask a 吗/嗎 question or a verb-not-
verb question as follows:
subject verb-过/過 guo object 吗/嗎 ma?
or
subject verb-过/過 guo object 没有/沒有 méi yǒu?
你看过那个电影吗？ 你看过那个电影没有？
你看過那個電影嗎？ 你看過那個電影沒有？
Nǐ kànguo nàge diànyǐng ma? Nǐ kànguo nàge diànyǐng méi yǒu?
Have you seen that movie? Have you seen that movie?
你登过万里长城吗？ 你登过万里长城没有？
你登過萬里長城嗎？ 你登過萬里長城沒有？
Nǐ dēngguo Wànlǐ Chángchéng ma? Nǐ dēngguo Wànlǐ Chángchéng méi yǒu?
Have you climbed the Great Wall? Have you climbed the Great Wall?
17.4 A comparison of aspectual distinctions
Aspectual distinctions are part of a system, so they exist in opposition to each other. Perfec-
tive aspect looks at the boundaries of events that occur in a time relevant to the present. Durative
aspect looks at an action from the inside, focusing on the ongoing nature of the action. Experiential
aspect, like perfective aspect, signals bounded events, but only events whose completion took
place at a time remote from, or separated from, the present.
