Pattern
过 for “have you ever”
Ask and answer about life experience without mixing 过 into this morning’s errands.
Experience, not this morning
你去过北京吗？ asks whether Beijing exists in your life story. 你去北京了吗？ is closer to a recent trip.
我没去过 is the usual no. Keep 过 glued after the verb.
Time spans can sit after: 她学过一年中文.
过 vs 了
了 often cares that an event is finished or a state changed. 过 cares that the experience is on the record.
我吃了 = I ate (this meal / it’s done). 我吃过 = I have eaten that before (at some point).
Combining 过了 is later grammar. This week, pick one marker.
Questions and answers
吗 after the whole verb-过 phrase. Short yes: 去过. Short no: 没去过.
什么 / 哪儿 can sit in object position: 你吃过什么？
Do not invert like English “have you.”
Common mistakes
Do not put 过 at the end of the sentence after the object as a default (我去北京过). Verb + 过 + object.
Do not use 不 for never-have: 没…过.
Do not add 过 to every past-time English sentence.
Examples
Have you been to China?
I’ve never eaten this.
She has studied Chinese for a year (before).
Have you seen this movie?
I have taken the high-speed train.
He has never been to Shanghai.
Have you ever had Moutai?
I’ve heard this song before.
Tips
- Verb + 过 + object.
- 没…过 for never.
- 了 ≠ 过.
- Short answers: 去过 / 没去过.
Cloze drills
1. Have you been to Beijing?
Full: 你去过北京吗？
过
2. I’ve never eaten this.
Full: 我没吃过这个。
没…过
3. She has seen that movie.
Full: 她看过那个电影。
过
4. I have not been to Shanghai.
Full: 我没去过上海。
没去过