Expressing Experience with '过' — Mandarin Grammar

The particle (guòㄍㄨㄛˋko4) is used to indicate that an action has been experienced in the past. It emphasizes that the subject has done something at least once before, similar to the English construction "have done" or "have ever done".

When using (guòㄍㄨㄛˋko4), the focus is on the experience itself rather than the specific time the event happened. The action is considered complete and is no longer continuing in the present.

The structure is simple:

Subject + Verb + 过 (guò) + Object

我去过中国。
wǒ qù·guò zhōng·guó.ㄨㄛˇ ㄑㄩˋ·ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄓㄨㄥ·ㄍㄨㄛˊ.wo3 ch'ü4·ko4 chung1·ko2.
I have been to China (before).
我看过那个电影。
wǒ kàn·guò nà·ge diàn·yǐng.ㄨㄛˇ ㄎㄢˋ·ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄋㄚˋ·˙ㄍㄜㄉㄧㄢˋ·ㄧㄥˇ.wo3 k'an4·ko4 na4·ko tien4·ying3.
I have seen that movie.
他学过中文。
tā xué·guò zhōng·wén.ㄊㄚㄒㄩㄝˊ·ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄓㄨㄥ·ㄨㄣˊ.t'a1 shüeh2·ko4 chung1·wên2.
He has studied Chinese.

Negating Past Experience

To say that you have never or not experienced something, place (méiㄇㄟˊmei2) or (méi·yǒuㄇㄟˊ·ㄧㄡˇmei2·yu3) before the verb.

Unlike other grammar patterns where particles might be dropped, you must keep the (guòㄍㄨㄛˋko4) in the sentence to maintain the meaning of "have not done (before)."

我没吃过饺子。
wǒ méi chī·guò jiǎo·zi.ㄨㄛˇ ㄇㄟˊ ㄔ·ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄐㄧㄠˇ·˙ㄗ.wo3 mei2 ch'ih1·ko4 chiao3·tsŭ.
I have not eaten dumplings.
我们没有见过他。
wǒ·men méi·yǒu jiàn·guò tā.ㄨㄛˇ·˙ㄇㄣㄇㄟˊ·ㄧㄡˇ ㄐㄧㄢˋ·ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄊㄚ.wo3·mên mei2·yu3 chien4·ko4 t'a1.
We have not met him.

Asking About Experience

To ask if someone has ever done something, you can add the question particle (ma˙ㄇㄚma) to the end of the sentence. Alternatively, you can place (méi·yǒuㄇㄟˊ·ㄧㄡˇmei2·yu3) at the end of the statement to ask "have or have not?".

你喝过白酒吗？
nǐ hē·guò bái·jiǔ ma?ㄋㄧˇ ㄏㄜ·ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄅㄞˊ·ㄐㄧㄡˇ ˙ㄇㄚ?ni3 ho1·ko4 pai2·chiu3 ma?
Have you (ever) drunk baijiu?
你去过北京没有？
nǐ qù·guò běi·jīng méi·yǒu?ㄋㄧˇ ㄑㄩˋ·ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄅㄟˇ·ㄐㄧㄥㄇㄟˊ·ㄧㄡˇ?ni3 ch'ü4·ko4 pei3·ching1 mei2·yu3?
Have you been to Beijing?

Frequency and Time

Because (guòㄍㄨㄛˋko4) refers to indefinite past experiences, it is often used with words indicating frequency, such as (yí cìㄧˊ ㄘˋyi2 tz'ŭ4) - once or (yǐ·qiánㄧˇ·ㄑㄧㄢˊyi3·ch'ien2) - before.

我去过那里两次。
wǒ qù·guò nà·lǐ liǎng cì.ㄨㄛˇ ㄑㄩˋ·ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄋㄚˋ·ㄌㄧˇ ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄘˋ.wo3 ch'ü4·ko4 na4·li3 liang3 tz'ŭ4.
I have been there twice.
我以前来过这里。
wǒ yǐ·qián lái·guò zhè·lǐ.ㄨㄛˇ ㄧˇ·ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄌㄞˊ·ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄓㄜˋ·ㄌㄧˇ.wo3 yi3·ch'ien2 lai2·ko4 chê4·li3.
I have come here before.

Difference between 过 (guò) and 了 (le)

Learners often confuse (guòㄍㄨㄛˋko4) and (le˙ㄌㄜlê) as both relate to the past.

(guòㄍㄨㄛˋko4) focuses on the experience. It implies the action happened in the past and is completely over. The subject is no longer in that state.
(le˙ㄌㄜlê) focuses on the completion of an action, often at a specific time, or a change of state.

Compare these two sentences:

With (guòㄍㄨㄛˋko4): (wǒ qù·guò běi·jīngㄨㄛˇ ㄑㄩˋ·ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄅㄟˇ·ㄐㄧㄥwo3 ch'ü4·ko4 pei3·ching1). (I have been to Beijing.)

Meaning: I went there in the past, and I am back now. It is an experience I hold.

With (le˙ㄌㄜlê): (wǒ qù běi·jīng leㄨㄛˇ ㄑㄩˋ ㄅㄟˇ·ㄐㄧㄥ ˙ㄌㄜwo3 ch'ü4 pei3·ching1 lê). (I went to Beijing.)

Meaning: I went to Beijing (perhaps recently), and I might still be there.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Mandarin course

3 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 116. A few of them, with the words “Expressing Experience with '过'” is about in bold:

哦,我知道法国。我以前去过法国。
ó, wǒ zhī·dào fǎ·guó. wǒ yǐ·qián qù·guo fǎ·guó.ㄛˊ, ㄨㄛˇ ㄓ·ㄉㄠˋ ㄈㄚˇ·ㄍㄨㄛˊ. ㄨㄛˇ ㄧˇ·ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄑㄩˋ·˙ㄍㄨㄛㄈㄚˇ·ㄍㄨㄛˊ.o2, wo3 chih1·tao4 fa3·ko2. wo3 yi3·ch'ien2 ch'ü4·ko fa3·ko2.
Oh, I know France. I have been to France before.
Lesson 208

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