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HSK 2–4 GRAMMAR

Chinese 了 (le) vs 过 (guò) grammar guide: completion, change and experience

Confusing 了 (le) and 过 (guò)—or adding 了 to every past sentence as if it were an English -ed ending—is one of the most common grammar mistakes from HSK 1 through HSK 4. Mandarin particles mark aspect (how an action relates to a timeline), not simple past tense.

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For learners practising this HSK 2.0 level through vocabulary and sentences. For official papers, exam versions and registration, use Chinese Tests Service Website. Writing tasks at a level do not imply that its official exam has a writing section.

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Quick answer

In Mandarin Chinese, 了 (le) marks a completed bounded action (我买了一杯咖啡) or a change of state (下雨了), while 过 (guò) marks whether an experience has ever happened at least once (我去过北京). Negate completed actions with 没 + Verb without 了 (我昨天没去), and negate past experience with 没 + Verb + 过 (我没去过).

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1. 想表达“我以前去过成都（现在不在那儿）”，应该选哪句？
Answer and explanation

我去过成都。

去过 uses the experiential marker 过 to show that you have been to Chengdu at least once before. 着 marks an ongoing state, and 没去了 is ungrammatical.

2. 想把“我昨天买了一本字典”改为否定句，哪项语法正确？
Answer and explanation

我昨天没买字典。

To negate a past action that did not happen, use 没 + Verb without 了 (我昨天没买字典). Never keep 了 after 没 when negating an action.

3. 窗外原本没下雨，现在开始下了，哪句话最自然？
Answer and explanation

下雨了！

Sentence-final 了 marks a change of state or a new situation: 下雨了 means it has just started raining now.

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Chinese example

我去过上海，但是昨天没去上海。

Pinyin
Wǒ qù guo Shànghǎi, dànshì zuótiān méi qù Shànghǎi.
Meaning
I have been to Shanghai before, but I did not go to Shanghai yesterday.
Why it works
去过 marks a past life experience (having been there at least once), while 昨天没去 negates a specific past action without 了.

Your turn

Contrast 过 and 没: I have watched that movie before, but I did not watch it yesterday.

Show answer and explanation

我看过那部电影，但是昨天没看。

去过 marks a past life experience (having been there at least once), while 昨天没去 negates a specific past action without 了.

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When to use 了 (le): completed bounded actions or new state

Verb + 了 shows that a specific, bounded action was completed (我买了一杯咖啡, I bought a cup of coffee). Sentence-final 了 shows that a state or situation has changed (下雨了, it started raining; 我不饿了, I am no longer hungry).

When to use 过 (guò): past life experience at least once

Verb + 过 highlights whether someone has ever had the experience of doing something before, with the action now completely over: 我去过北京 (I have been to Beijing before). Unlike 了, 过 focuses on the experiential record rather than a specific step in a narrative.

How to negate 了 and 过 with 没 (méi)

Never combine 没 with 了 for an uncompleted action. To say you did not do something, use 没 + Verb (without 了): 我昨天没去学校 (I did not go to school yesterday). To negate past experience with 过, keep 过 after the verb: 我没去过北京 (I have never been to Beijing).

When past sentences need neither 了 nor 过

Ongoing states, habitual actions in the past, mental verbs (觉得, 希望, 知道) and background descriptions with 昨天 or 以前 usually take no 了 at all: 昨天天气很好 (The weather was very good yesterday).

Practice checklist and model answers

How to practise effectively

Read the task, cover the model and answer independently. Compare the highlighted pattern, then change one detail and try again. These are original learning tasks, not official exam questions.

  1. Task

    Rewrite 我昨天去了学校 as a negative sentence saying you did not go yesterday.

    One possible answer

    我昨天没去学校。

    Check your answer

    Negate a past action with 没 + Verb (没去学校) and remove 了 completely.

  2. Task

    Use 过 to say that you have eaten Peking duck before.

    One possible answer

    我以前吃过北京烤鸭。

    Check your answer

    Place 过 immediately after the verb 吃 (吃过北京烤鸭) to mark past life experience.

Sources and scope

For current HSK exam versions, registration and official requirements, consult Chinese Tests Service Website. MandarinGo’s HSK 1–6 pages use HSK 2.0 as a learning difficulty framework; the practice below is not an exam syllabus.

Official HSK information

QUESTIONS

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Can beginners use these guides?

Yes. Start with HSK 1 or the free level assessment. Pinyin, translations and explanations help beginners understand each step before moving to harder material.