Experiential Aspect 过: Have Done Before
过 (guo) after a verb says the subject has done something at least once in the past, an experience: 我去过中国. Its negative is 没…过, with 没 before the verb and 过 kept after it.
- 我去过北京。= I have been to Beijing (before).
Negation: 没(有) + Verb + 过 — 过 stays attached (never drop it like you would 了).
- 我没有去过上海。= I have never been to Shanghai. (never 不去过)
Question: Verb + 过 + Object + 吗？ or ...+ 没有？
- 你吃过中国菜吗？= Have you ever eaten Chinese food?
Contrast 过 vs 了: 过 = general experience, doesn't matter when. 了 = one specific completed instance. 我以前没吃过苹果，昨天我吃了一个。 (Never eaten apple before — yesterday I ate one.)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我去过北京。 | Wǒ qù guò Běi jīng. | I have been to Beijing before. | Minimal experiential pattern: Verb (去) + 过 + Object (北京) — a past experience, not a single specific event. |
| 我没有去过上海。 | Wǒ méi yǒu qù guò Shàng hǎi. | I have never been to Shanghai. | Negation uses 没(有) + Verb + 过 — 过 stays attached, unlike 了, which disappears under 没有 negation. |
| 你吃过中国菜吗？ | Nǐ chī guò Zhōng guó cài ma? | Have you ever eaten Chinese food? | Question form adds 吗 at the end: Verb + 过 + Object + 吗？— asks about experience, not one instance. |
| 我打过篮球，也踢过足球。 | Wǒ dǎ guò lán qiú, yě tī guò zú qiú. | I've played basketball before, and I've also played soccer before. | 过 can attach to several different verbs in one sentence, each independently marking an experience. |
| 我以前没吃过苹果，昨天我吃了一个。 | Wǒ yǐ qián méi chī guò píng guǒ, zuó tiān wǒ chī le yí gè. | I had never eaten an apple before — yesterday I ate one. | Contrast: 过 (in 没吃过) marks a general lifetime experience; 了 (吃了) marks the one specific completed instance (yesterday's apple). |
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.
过 (guò)
Says someone has had the experience at some time in the past.
Structure: Verb + 过 (+ object)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我坐过飞机。 | Wǒ zuò guò fēi jī. | I have taken a plane before. |
| 她看过这个电影。 | Tā kàn guò zhè gè diàn yǐng. | She has seen this film. |
| 你去过哪些国家？ | Nǐ qù guò nǎ xiē guó jiā? | Which countries have you been to? |
Not: 我昨天去过商店。 过 is for an experience at no fixed time; for a named time use 了: 我昨天去了商店.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, particles (动态助词); level 2, complement (趋向补语).
过 is also explained in: 过: experiential aspect (HSK 4).
没…过 (méi…guò)
Says someone has never had the experience.
Structure: 没(有) + verb + 过
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我没吃过臭豆腐。 | Wǒ méi chī guò chòu dòu fǔ. | I have never eaten stinky tofu. |
| 他从来没坐过船。 | Tā cóng lái méi zuò guò chuán. | He has never taken a boat. |
| 我没学过日语。 | Wǒ méi xué guò rì yǔ. | I have never studied Japanese. |
Not: 我不吃过羊肉。 Negate an experience with 没(有), not 不: 我没吃过羊肉.
没…过 is also explained in: 过: experiential aspect (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
- 过 — HSK 4
Questions about Experiential Aspect 过
What does 动态助词过 (Experiential Aspect 过) mean in Chinese?
过 (guo) after a verb says the subject has done something at least once in the past, an experience: 我去过中国. Its negative is 没…过, with 没 before the verb and 过 kept after it. It is an HSK 2 grammar point.
How do you use 动态助词过 (Experiential Aspect 过) in a sentence?
我去过北京。 — Wǒ qù guò Běi jīng. — I have been to Beijing before. Minimal experiential pattern: Verb (去) + 过 + Object (北京) — a past experience, not a single specific event.
What do you need to know before 动态助词过 (Experiential Aspect 过)?
了 (HSK 1). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
How do I ask whether someone has done something?
Add 过 and finish with 吗, or use 有没有. For example 你学过法语吗？ or 你有没有学过法语？
Can I use 过 and 了 together?
Sometimes, but they mean different things. 我吃过饭了 says I have already eaten, while 我吃过那家饭馆的菜 only says I have tried it at some time.
Experiential Aspect 过 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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