了 vs 过: what is the difference?
了 marks that an action is finished: 我昨天看了那部电影. 过 says you have had the experience at some time: 我看过那部电影. 过 does not tell you when it happened.
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 了 | le | Marks that an action is completed, often at a particular time. | Verb + 了 (+ Object) |
| 过 | guo | Marks that the subject has done something at least once in the past. | verb + 过 (+ object) |
了 (le)
Marks that an action is completed, often at a particular time.
Structure: Verb + 了 (+ Object)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我昨天买了一本新词典。 | Wǒ zuó tiān mǎi le yì běn xīn cí diǎn. | I bought a new dictionary yesterday. |
| 他吃了早饭就去上班了。 | Tā chī le zǎo fàn jiù qù shàng bān le. | He ate breakfast and then went to work. |
| 周末我们看了一场电影。 | Zhōu mò wǒ men kàn le yì chǎng diàn yǐng. | We watched a film at the weekend. |
Not: 我从来没去了上海。 Never having done something takes 没…过, not 了: 我从来没去过上海。
过 (guo)
Marks that the subject has done something at least once in the past.
Structure: verb + 过 (+ object)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我小时候学过游泳。 | Wǒ xiǎo shí hou xué guo yóu yǒng. | I learned to swim when I was little. |
| 你看过这部电影吗？ | Nǐ kàn guo zhè bù diàn yǐng ma? | Have you seen this film? |
| 他从来没有迟到过。 | Tā cóng lái méi yǒu chí dào guo. | He has never been late. |
Not: 我不去过上海。 Negate the experience with 没: 我没去过上海.
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of 过: experiential aspect (HSK 4) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 按照 vs 根据 · 不敢 vs 不能 · 及时 vs 立刻 · 记住 vs 记得 · 渐渐 vs 逐渐 · 将近 vs 大约 · 竟然 vs 居然 · 既然 vs 因为 · 看不懂 vs 没看懂 · 连…都 vs 连…也 · 没有 vs 不如 · 却 vs 但是 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 了 and 过?
了 marks that an action is finished: 我昨天看了那部电影. 过 says you have had the experience at some time: 我看过那部电影. 过 does not tell you when it happened.
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