[Learn basic Chinese with grammar] How to use 過

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What does 過 mean?

過 ♬ is used after a verb to talk about experience. It means someone has done something before at least once.

Marker	Basic meaning
過 ♬	experience marker; have done before

過 is not just “past tense.” It focuses on whether the experience has happened before.

1. Verb + 過: have done before

Put 過 ♬ right after the verb when you want to say that someone has done something before.

Pattern	Meaning
Subject + Verb + 過 + Object	Subject has done something before

Chinese	English
我住過青年旅館。 ♬	I have stayed in a youth hostel before.
她聽過這首歌。 ♬	She has heard this song before.

The exact time is not the main point. The sentence tells us that the experience exists.

2. 沒 + Verb + 過: have never done

To say that someone has never done something, use 沒 ♬ before the verb and 過 ♬ after the verb.

Pattern	Meaning
Subject + 沒 + Verb + 過 + Object	Subject has never done something

Chinese	English
我沒坐過渡輪。 ♬	I have never taken a ferry before.
他沒參加過線上課程。 ♬	He has never joined an online course before.

For this experience pattern, use 沒, not 不.

3. Asking experience questions

To ask if someone has ever done something, you can use Verb + 過 + 嗎.

Pattern	Meaning
Subject + Verb + 過 + Object + 嗎	Has the subject ever done something?

Chinese	English
你用過電子票嗎？ ♬	Have you used an electronic ticket before?
你看過這部紀錄片嗎？ ♬	Have you watched this documentary before?

4. 過 is different from 了

過 ♬ focuses on experience. 了 ♬ often focuses on completion or change.

Chinese	English	Focus
我住過青年旅館。 ♬	I have stayed in a youth hostel before.	Experience
我訂了青年旅館。 ♬	I booked a youth hostel.	Completed action

Use 過 when you care about whether someone has had the experience before.

Useful words and example sentences