Existential Sentences with 着: 桌子上放着书
An existential sentence states what is found in a place, using the order place + verb + 着 + noun, as in 桌子上放着书. The 着 shows the thing stays in the state the verb left it in.
着 (zhe) marks the ongoing state/result of the action — the thing stays there.
桌子上放着一本书。(There's a book on the table — placed there and staying.)
Compare with 有: 桌子上有一本书 (simple existence) vs 桌子上放着一本书 (existence + HOW it got there/its state).
Word order is fixed: Place always comes FIRST, then Verb+着, then the Noun. Don't put the noun before the verb.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 桌子上放着一本书。 | Zhuōzi shàng fàng zhe yī běn shū. | There's a book placed on the table. | Minimal frame: Place + Verb+着 + Noun. |
| 墙上挂着一张照片。 | Qiáng shàng guà zhe yī zhāng zhàopiàn. | A photo is hanging on the wall. | Different verb (挂=hang), same Place+V着+Noun pattern. |
| 门口站着两个人，他们在说话。 | Ménkǒu zhàn zhe liǎng gè rén, tāmen zài shuōhuà. | Two people are standing at the doorway, talking. | Adds a follow-up clause with 在+verb describing what they're doing. |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
着 (zhe)
Shows how something sits, hangs or stands in a place.
Structure: Place + verb + 着 + thing
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 椅子上坐着一个孩子。 | Yǐ zi shàng zuò zhe yí gè hái zi. | A child is sitting on the chair. |
| 冰箱里放着很多水果。 | Bīng xiāng lǐ fàng zhe hěn duō shuǐ guǒ. | There is a lot of fruit in the fridge. |
| 黑板上写着今天的作业。 | Hēi bǎn shàng xiě zhe jīn tiān de zuò yè. | Today's homework is written on the board. |
Not: 书放着在桌子上。 Place first, then verb + 着, then the thing: 桌子上放着书.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, particles (动态助词).
着 is also explained in: Continuous State 着: Persistent Action or State (HSK 2) · Existential sentences: 有/是/着 + location (HSK 4) · 着: continuous/accompanying state (HSK 4) · Object Semantics: Existential & Affected Objects (HSK 5).
有 (yǒu)
Says something exists in a place.
Structure: Place + 有 + thing
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 桌子上有一杯茶。 | Zhuō zi shàng yǒu yì bēi chá. | There is a cup of tea on the table. |
| 学校旁边有一家银行。 | Xué xiào páng biān yǒu yì jiā yín háng. | There is a bank next to the school. |
| 房间里没有人。 | Fáng jiān lǐ méi yǒu rén. | There is nobody in the room. |
Not: 一本书有桌子上。 Place comes first: 桌子上有一本书.
有 is also explained in: The 有-Sentence: Possession and Existence (HSK 1) · Existential sentences: 有/是/着 + location (HSK 4).
是 (shì)
Says a place is entirely taken up by one thing.
Structure: Place + 是 + thing
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 前面是一家商店。 | Qián miàn shì yì jiā shāng diàn. | In front is a shop. |
| 我家旁边是公园。 | Wǒ jiā páng biān shì gōng yuán. | Next to my home is a park. |
| 学校对面是一家书店。 | Xué xiào duì miàn shì yì jiā shū diàn. | Across from the school is a bookshop. |
Not: 我家旁边是有公园。 Do not combine 是 and 有: 我家旁边是公园 or 我家旁边有公园.
是 is also explained in: The 是-Sentence: Identity and Classification (HSK 1) · Existential sentences: 有/是/着 + location (HSK 4).
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
The same pattern at other levels
- Existential sentences — HSK 4
Questions about Existential Sentences with 着
What does 存现句 (Existential Sentences with 着) mean in Chinese?
An existential sentence states what is found in a place, using the order place + verb + 着 + noun, as in 桌子上放着书. The 着 shows the thing stays in the state the verb left it in. It is an HSK 2 grammar point.
How do you use 存现句 (Existential Sentences with 着) in a sentence?
桌子上放着一本书。 — Zhuōzi shàng fàng zhe yī běn shū. — There's a book placed on the table. Minimal frame: Place + Verb+着 + Noun.
What do you need to know before 存现句 (Existential Sentences with 着)?
Continuous State 着 (HSK 2). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What is the difference between 有, 是 and 着 for saying what is somewhere?
有 says something exists there. 是 says the place is simply that thing. 着 adds how it sits or hangs. Compare 墙上有画 and 墙上挂着画。
Can the thing come first in this pattern?
No. The place comes first and the thing last, because the new information goes at the end. Say 桌子上放着一本书, not 一本书放着桌子上。
Existential Sentences with 着 is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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