HSK 3Verbs

着 Continuous State

着 after a verb indicates an ongoing state or continuous action.

Pattern

Verb + 着

Explanation

着 indicates that an action is ongoing or a state is being maintained. Unlike 在 which emphasizes the action in progress, 着 emphasizes the resulting state that continues.

Common uses include describing postures (坐着, 站着), states of objects (开着, 关着), and background actions (听着音乐看书 — reading while listening to music).

Examples

门开着呢。

Mén kāi zhe ne.

The door is open.

他站着说话。

Tā zhàn zhe shuōhuà.

He speaks while standing.

墙上挂着一幅画。

Qiáng shàng guà zhe yì fú huà.

A painting is hanging on the wall.

Common Mistakes

Wrong

他着站说话。

Correct

他站着说话。

着 must come directly after the verb, not before it.

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