HSK 2
没 V 着 O
méi V zhe O
not V-ing O
Structure
Subject + 没 + Verb + 着 + Object
How it works
This structure is the negative form of the durative aspect particle '着' (zhe). It indicates that a certain state or action is not currently in progress or being maintained. Since '着' describes a state that has already started or exists, the negation used must be '没' (not '不').
Examples
门没关着。
Mén méi guān zhe.
The door is not closed.
他没穿着红色的衣服。
Tā méi chuān zhe hóngsè de yīfu.
He is not wearing red clothes.
书架上没放着书。
Shūjià shàng méi fàng zhe shū.
There are no books sitting on the bookshelf.
Common mistakes
Using '不' instead of '没' to negate the state (e.g., saying '他不穿着' instead of '他没穿着').
Tip
Think of '着' like the '-ing' in English used for states. '没...着' translates to 'is not currently [verb]-ing' or 'is not in the state of being [verb]-ed'.
More HSK 2 grammar
See 没 V 着 O in real Chinese
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