Experience with guò
过 for something you have done at some time, 没有 ... 过 for something you never have, how 过 differs from 了, and 第一次 for the first time. At Higher, 从来没 ... 过 and 从来不.
Learn
Experience with guò, explained point by point
Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.
Use 过 for something you have done at some time
过 straight after a verb says you have had the experience, at some point in your life: 我去过中国。 (I have been to China.) 我吃过饺子。 It doesn't say when, though 以前 can add "before": 我以前学过法文。
Ask whether someone has ever done something
Add 吗, or end with 没有: 你去过北京吗？ 你吃过饺子没有？ Answer with the verb and 过: 去过。 or 没去过。
Say you have never done something with 没…过
Put 没 or 没有 before the verb and keep 过: 我没去过中国。 (I've never been to China.) It is always 没, never 不, and unlike 了, 过 stays in the negative.
Choose between 过 and 了
了 reports one event: 我去年去了中国。 (I went to China last year.) 过 says it is part of your experience: 我去过中国。 (I have been to China.) In the negative, 我没去中国 is I didn't go, while 我没去过中国 is I've never been.
Say the first time with 第一次
第一次 goes before the verb: 这是我第一次来中国。 (This is my first time in China.) 我第一次吃饺子的时候，觉得很好吃。
Answer an experience question with a detail
过 answers a question you are likely to be asked in a conversation. Give the experience, then an opinion: 我吃过北京烤鸭，我觉得很好吃。 Or say you would like to: 我没去过中国，可是我很想去。
Say never with 从来没…过 and 从来不Higher only
从来没 with 过 means never, ever: 我从来没去过美国。 (I've never once been to America.) 从来不 is never for a habit: 我从来不喝咖啡。
Say how many times with 次Higher only
次 after 过 counts the times: 我去过两次北京。 or 我去过北京两次。 Ask with 几次: 你去过几次中国？
Experience with guò key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- 过
- After a verb: have done at some time, as an experience: 我去过中国.
- 没…过
- Have never done: 我没吃过饺子. Unlike 了, 过 stays in the negative.
- Experience
- Something you have done at some point in your life, which 过 marks.
- 以前
- Before, at some time in the past: 我以前学过法文.
- 第一次
- The first time, before the verb: 第一次来.
- 过 and 了
- 了 reports one finished event; 过 says you have had the experience.
- 从来没Higher only
- Never, ever, used with 过 after the verb: 我从来没去过.
- 次Higher only
- The measure word for times: 两次, 几次.
Common mistakes in Experience with guò
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Using 不 with 过, as in 我不去过中国.
An experience you have never had takes 没, never 不: 我没去过中国.
Dropping 过 in the negative, as in 我没去中国 for I have never been to China.
我没去中国 means I didn't go. Keep 过 for never: 我没去过中国.
Putting 过 after the object, as in 我去中国过.
过 goes straight after the verb, before the object: 我去过中国.
Putting 第一次 at the end, as in 我去中国第一次.
第一次 goes before the verb, the way time words do: 我第一次去中国.
Leaving 过 out after 从来没, as in 我从来没去中国.Higher only
从来没 for an experience still needs 过 after the verb: 我从来没去过中国.
Practice
Try a Experience with guò question
A GCSE-style original question from this topic. Have a go before you open the working - deciding on an answer first is what makes the working stick.
Which question asks about an experience at any time in your life?
- 你去日本了吗？
- 你去日本吗？
- 你要去日本吗？
- 你去过日本吗？
Show the answer and the working
Answer: 你去过日本吗？
去过 + 吗 asks about experience: 你去过日本吗？, have you ever been to Japan?
- 去过: ever been.
- 去了: went (this time).
- 去 / 要去: going.