Have You Ever…? Experience with 过
Verb + 过 says you've done something at some point in your life: 我去过北京. Its negative, questions, and how it differs from 了.
Verb + 过
过 (guo) after a verb means "have done it before, at least once": 我去过北京。 (Wǒ qù guo Běijīng.) (I've been to Beijing.) It's about experience, not about when.
Count the times with 次 (cì): 我去过两次 (I've been twice). The number of times goes after 过.
Quick check
1. I've seen this film:
Never, and asking
Negative: 没 + verb + 过 -- the 过 stays (unlike 了): 我没去过日本。 (Wǒ méi qù guo Rìběn.) (I've never been to Japan.)
Ask with 吗, or with 没有 at the end: 你吃过北京烤鸭吗？ (Nǐ chī guo Běijīng kǎoyā ma?) / 你吃过没有？ (Nǐ chī guo méiyǒu?)
Quick check
1. I've never been to Japan:
过 or 了?
了 reports that something happened, often at a particular time: 我昨天去了银行. 过 says it's part of your experience: 我去过那个银行 (I've been to that bank before).
If the answer to "when?" matters, it's usually 了; if the point is "ever / never," it's 过.
Quick check
1. Have you ever eaten Peking duck?
Try it yourself
Write a sentence or two using what this lesson covered. Not graded -- just for you, saved so you can come back to it.
Pick with a tap, a number key or Space. A Chinese keyboard on your device works in the box below too.
Final review
0/15 answered across this lesson
1. 我学过一年中文 means:
2. Which sentences are correct? (Choose all that apply.)
Select all that apply.
3. How many times has the speaker been?
4. Complete (characters or pinyin).
5. Complete (characters or pinyin).
6. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).
7. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).
8. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).
9. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).
10. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).
11. Translate into English.
12. Say you've never been to China.
Say your answer out loud and record it, then compare it with the model.
Tip: guo is light; stress qù.