过: experiential aspect
The particle 过 (guo) goes after a verb to say the subject has done it at least once in the past, without saying when. Its negative is 没…过, meaning have never done it, and it differs from 了 because it records experience.
> 我去过北京。(I have been to Beijing — at some point.)
Key contrasts:
- 了 = completed action: 我去了北京。(I went to Beijing — specific trip)
- 过 = life-experience: 我去过北京。(I have been — ever)
Negation: 没(有) + V + 过 ✅ ❌ 不过
Question form: V + 过 + 吗 / V + 过 + 没有
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 你吃过北京烤鸭吗？ | Nǐ chī guò Běijīng kǎoyā ma? | Have you ever eaten Peking duck? | Experience question: V过吗 = have you ever … |
| 我没去过那个地方，不太了解。 | Wǒ méi qù guò nà ge dìfāng, bù tài liǎojiě. | I've never been to that place, so I don't know much about it. | Negation 没去过 + consequence |
| 他以前当过老师，后来改行做了医生。 | Tā yǐqián dāng guò lǎoshī, hòulái gǎiháng zuò le yīshēng. | He used to be a teacher; later he changed careers and became a doctor. | 过 for former experience; 了 for the subsequent completed change |
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 (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.
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: Experiential Aspect 过: Have Done Before (HSK 2).
没…过 (méi…guo)
Says you have never done something.
Structure: 没(有) + verb + 过
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我没坐过飞机。 | Wǒ méi zuò guo fēi jī. | I have never been on a plane. |
| 她没有学过法语。 | Tā méi yǒu xué guo fǎ yǔ. | She has never studied French. |
| 这个字我没见过。 | Zhè gè zì wǒ méi jiàn guo. | I have never seen this character. |
Not: 我没吃过羊肉了。 A negative experience ends with 过, not 了: 我没吃过羊肉.
没…过 is also explained in: Experiential Aspect 过: Have Done Before (HSK 2).
Compared side by side: 了 vs 过.
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
- Experiential Aspect 过 — HSK 2
Questions about 过
What does 过 mean in Chinese?
The particle 过 (guo) goes after a verb to say the subject has done it at least once in the past, without saying when. Its negative is 没…过, meaning have never done it, and it differs from 了 because it records experience. It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 过 in a sentence?
你吃过北京烤鸭吗？ — Nǐ chī guò Běijīng kǎoyā ma? — Have you ever eaten Peking duck?. Experience question: V过吗 = have you ever ….
What do you need to know before 过?
Experiential Aspect 过 (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 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.
How do I ask whether someone has done something?
Add 吗 or use 有没有: 你去过上海吗？ or 你有没有去过上海？ Both ask about experience.
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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