着: continuous/accompanying state
着 (zhe) is a particle placed after a verb to show a continuing state or an action that goes along with another. 门开着 means the door is open, and 她笑着说 means she said it smiling.
Use 2 — Accompanying action: V1+着 + V2 = do V2 while V1 is ongoing.
- 她笑着说。(She said it smiling.)
- 他站着等。(He waited standing up.)
Key contrast: 开了 = opened (completed); 开着 = is open (state). 了 ends the action; 着 continues it.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 灯开着，他在客厅里看书。 | Dēng kāi zhe, tā zài kè tīng lǐ kàn shū. | The light is on; he's reading in the living room. | Continuous state: 开着 = the light remains in the open/on state |
| 她微笑着和大家握了握手。 | Tā wēi xiào zhe hé dà jiā wò le wò shǒu. | She shook hands with everyone while smiling. | Accompanying action: 微笑着 describes the manner of the main verb 握手 |
| 墙上挂着一幅老地图，看上去很有历史感。 | Qiáng shàng guà zhe yī fú lǎo dì tú, kàn shàng qù hěn yǒu lì shǐ gǎn. | An old map is hanging on the wall, which looks very historic. | Location+V着+thing: existential 着 sentence showing a persisting state at a location |
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)
After a verb it shows a state continuing, or an action going on alongside another.
Structure: V + 着 (+ object); V1 + 着 + V2
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他手里拿着一杯茶。 | Tā shǒu lǐ ná zhe yì bēi chá. | He is holding a cup of tea. |
| 她笑着对我说谢谢。 | Tā xiào zhe duì wǒ shuō xiè xie. | She thanked me, smiling. |
| 门关着，里面没有人。 | Mén guān zhe, lǐ miàn méi yǒu rén. | The door is shut; there is nobody inside. |
Not: 门开了着。 Do not combine 了 and 着; say 门开着 for the state.
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) · Continuous State 着: Persistent Action or State (HSK 2) · Existential sentences: 有/是/着 + location (HSK 4) · Object Semantics: Existential & Affected Objects (HSK 5).
Compared side by side: 在看书 vs 看着书.
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 着 among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
The same pattern at other levels
- Continuous State 着 — HSK 2
Questions about 着
What does 着 mean in Chinese?
着 (zhe) is a particle placed after a verb to show a continuing state or an action that goes along with another. 门开着 means the door is open, and 她笑着说 means she said it smiling. It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 着 in a sentence?
灯开着，他在客厅里看书。 — Dēng kāi zhe, tā zài kè tīng lǐ kàn shū. — The light is on; he's reading in the living room. Continuous state: 开着 = the light remains in the open/on state.
What do you need to know before 着?
了 (HSK 4), 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 does 着 lead to?
Existential sentences (HSK 4), Reduplication Patterns (HSK 5). Each of them names 着 among its own prerequisites.
What is the difference between 在看书 and 看着书?
在看书 says the action is going on now. 看着书 describes a state or a background, as in 他看着书睡着了。
How do I make 着 negative?
Use 没 before the verb: 门没关着。 Do not use 不 for a 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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