Aspects
Aspect is a feature of grammar that gives information about the temporal flow of language. Chinese has a unique set of aspects: for example, there are two perfectives, 了 (-le) and 过 (-guo) which subtly differ in meaning.
- le (perfective)
我 当 了 兵 。
I became a soldier (and I still am).他 看 了 三 场 球 赛 。
He watched three ballgames (and he probably has watched many during his lifetime; often used in a time-delimited context such as "today" or "last week").
- guo (experiential perfective)
我 当 过 兵 。
I was/used to be a soldier before (but no longer am).他 看 过 三 场 球 赛 。
He has watched three ballgames (and that is the sum of all the ballgames he has ever watched; in the context of actions like "watch" or "take part," which can easily be repeated, this does not have the same connotation of the first usage, but merely denotes that the action was in the past and describes the state of affairs up to now).
The two imperfectives, 正在 (zhèngzài-) and 着 (-zhe) also differ in nuance:
- zhèngzài/zài (dynamic)
我 (正 )在 挂 画 。
I'm hanging pictures up. (The "hanging" is a continuous dynamic event.)
- zhe (static)
墙 上 挂 着 一 幅 画 。
A picture's hanging on the wall. (The "hanging" is a continuous current state.)
If the sentence could be rephrased using "in the middle of", then zhèngzai would be best; otherwise, zhe. "I'm hanging pictures up" would take zhèngzài, while "A picture's hanging on the wall" would take zhe. The two imperfectives may both occur in the same clause, e.g. 他正在打着电话 tā zhèngzai dǎ zhe diànhuà "He is in the middle of telephoning someone".
- Reduplication is used to form the delimitative aspect — an action that goes on for some time:
我 到 公 园 走 走 。
I'm going for a walk in the park.
This sentence could variably be expressed by 走一走 zǒu yi zǒu, which means the same thing, and could possibly be translated as "walk a little walk".
Read more about this topic: Chinese Grammar
Famous quotes containing the word aspects:
“That anger can be expressed through words and non-destructive activities; that promises are intended to be kept; that cleanliness and good eating habits are aspects of self-esteem; that compassion is an attribute to be prized—all these lessons are ones children can learn far more readily through the living example of their parents than they ever can through formal instruction.”
—Fred Rogers (20th century)
“It is always a sign of an unproductive time when it concerns itself with petty and technical aspects [in philology], and likewise it is a sign of an unproductive person to pursue such trifles.”
—Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749–1832)
“The happiest two-job marriages I saw during my research were ones in which men and women shared the housework and parenting. What couples called good communication often meant that they were good at saying thanks to one another for small aspects of taking care of the family. Making it to the school play, helping a child read, cooking dinner in good spirit, remembering the grocery list,... these were silver and gold of the marital exchange.”
—Arlie Hochschild (20th century)