Continuous State 着: Persistent Action or State
着 (zhe) after a verb shows an action or state that continues or is held in place, as in 门开着, 'the door is open'. Its negative is 没…着, with 没 before the verb.
Pattern: Verb + 着 (+ Object)
- 他站着。= He is standing (in a standing state).
- 她穿着红色的衣服。= She is wearing a red dress (right now).
Contrast with 了: 了 marks a completed action; 着 marks a persisting state. 他坐了 (he sat down — done) is different from 他坐着 (he is sitting — ongoing).
Manner clause: V1着 + V2 — the first action continues while the second happens.
- 他笑着说「你好」。= He said 'hello' while smiling.
Negation — keep 着, don't drop it (unlike 了!):
- 门没有关着。= The door isn't closed.
With 正在: 正在 + Verb + 着 emphasizes an action happening right now: 他正在看着书 = He's in the middle of reading. Common mistake: don't add 了 after 着 in the same clause — 着 already shows the state is ongoing.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 他站着。 | Tā zhàn zhe. | He is standing. | Minimal frame: Verb + 着 shows an ongoing state. |
| 她穿着一件红色的衣服。 | Tā chuān zhe yī jiàn hóng sè de yī fu. | She is wearing a red dress. | Adds an object after 着: Verb + 着 + Object. |
| 门没有关着，你进来吧。 | Mén méi yǒu guān zhe, nǐ jìn lái ba. | The door isn't closed — come on in. | Negation keeps 着 (unlike 了, which is dropped after 没有). |
| 他笑着跟朋友说话，很高兴。 | Tā xiào zhe gēn péng yǒu shuō huà, hěn gāo xìng. | He talked with his friend while smiling, very happy. | Manner clause: V1着 + V2 — the first action (smiling) continues through the second (talking). |
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 the result of an action stays on as a state.
Structure: Verb + 着 (+ object)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 她抱着一只小猫。 | Tā bào zhe yì zhī xiǎo māo. | She is holding a small cat. |
| 他躺着看手机。 | Tā tǎng zhe kàn shǒu jī. | He lies there looking at his phone. |
| 孩子们笑着跑进了教室。 | Hái zi men xiào zhe pǎo jìn le jiào shì. | The children ran into the classroom laughing. |
Not: 他穿着了红衣服。 着 and 了 do not go together: 他穿着红衣服.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, particles (动态助词).
着 is also explained in: Existential Sentences with 着: 桌子上放着书 (HSK 2) · Existential sentences: 有/是/着 + location (HSK 4) · 着: continuous/accompanying state (HSK 4) · Object Semantics: Existential & Affected Objects (HSK 5).
没…着 (méi…zhe)
Says the state is not in place.
Structure: 没(有) + verb + 着
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 电视没开着，他在看书。 | Diàn shì méi kāi zhe, tā zài kàn shū. | The television is not on, he is reading. |
| 门没锁着，你直接进来。 | Mén méi suǒ zhe, nǐ zhí jiē jìn lái. | The door is not locked, just come in. |
| 窗户没关着，所以屋里很冷。 | Chuāng hu méi guān zhe, suǒ yǐ wū lǐ hěn lěng. | The window is not closed, so the room is cold. |
Not: 他不穿着外套。 Negate a 着 state with 没(有): 他没穿着外套.
Compared side by side: 在 vs 着.
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.
What this opens up
These patterns list Continuous State 着 among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
The same pattern at other levels
- 着 — HSK 4
Questions about Continuous State 着
What does 动态助词着 (Continuous State 着) mean in Chinese?
着 (zhe) after a verb shows an action or state that continues or is held in place, as in 门开着, 'the door is open'. Its negative is 没…着, with 没 before the verb. It is an HSK 2 grammar point.
How do you use 动态助词着 (Continuous State 着) in a sentence?
他站着。 — Tā zhàn zhe. — He is standing. Minimal frame: Verb + 着 shows an ongoing state.
What do you need to know before 动态助词着 (Continuous State 着)?
Progressive Aspect (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.
What does 动态助词着 (Continuous State 着) lead to?
Existential Sentences with 着 (HSK 2). Each of them names 动态助词着 (Continuous State 着) among its own prerequisites.
What is the difference between 在 and 着?
在 goes before the verb and shows an action going on now: 他在看书. 着 goes after the verb and shows a state that stays: 墙上挂着画。
Can I use 着 with every verb?
No. It works with verbs that leave a state behind, such as 坐, 站, 穿, 拿 and 挂. It does not fit quick actions such as 到 or 死.
Continuous State 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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