Great news for you: Chinese tenses, as we understand them, don’t exist! Grammatical tenses are indeed absent in Chinese grammar. Does that mean it ends there? Well, no. You still need to understand whether the action happened in the past, is happening now, or will happen in the future. But Chinese, or Mandarin in this case, is a unique language and very different from European languages. Let’s explore how to express the present, past, and future in Chinese.

Chinese tenses past, present, future

Chinese Tenses: Conjugation in Chinese

Knowing how to express oneself in the past, present, and future is essential in any language. In European languages (French, English, Portuguese, Spanish, etc.), grammatical tenses allow for conjugation in the past, present, and future. However, there are no tenses in Chinese grammar, which greatly simplifies this aspect of the language. Because, yes, for the majority of people, grammar and conjugation are two tedious concepts that are usually tackled only at the last moment. So, don’t worry! There’s a positive point about learning Mandarin. In fact, you can already forget about declensions, irregular verbs, and verb endings. Not bad, right?

In reality, the Chinese use vocabulary specifically for this purpose. They use temporal markers and particles to talk about time in Chinese. Let’s see how they work in a Chinese sentence.

 

Chinese Tenses: Temporal Markers and Particles

The first way to express time in Chinese is by using what are called temporal markers, such as “now, today, tomorrow, yesterday, next year / last year.” It is through these words and expressions that your listener will know whether you are talking about the past, the present, or the future.

Here are the particles and temporal markers you will need. To learn how to use them, we encourage you to read the rest of the article.

chinese-tenses-how-to-conjugate-past-present-and-future-in-chinese-mosalingua

If the time particles have no meaning on their own, here is the meaning of the few vocabulary words given above:

昨天 (zuótiān) – yesterday
去年 (qùnián) – last year
现在 (xiànzài) – now
今天 (jīntiān) – today
今年 (jīnnián) – this year
明天 (míngtiān) – tomorrow
明年 (míngnián) – next year

These time adverbials will help you navigate time through context.

 

Sentence Structure

Remember: “no conjugation” means “no endings.” So, the sentence is basically constructed like this:

Subject + Verb + Object

For example, if you want to say “I eat at a friend’s house,” you will say “I eat at a friend’s house” (without any conjugation).

However, this structure changes depending on the temporal markers used. By “time marker,” I am referring here to time adverbials. The particles have their own place, which you will see as you study them below in the article.
The sentence structure will generally (with a few exceptions) be:

Subject + Time Marker + Verb + Object
Time Marker + Subject + Verb + Object

Here are a few example sentences:

昨天 我 吃 了 鸭肉。 – Yesterday, I ate duck (lit. Yesterday – I – eat – 了 – duck)
我 今天 去 市场。 – I am going to the market today (lit. I – today – go – market)

You may notice that the particle 了 (marker for the past) is placed between the verb and the object. Let’s now see why.

 

Using the past in Chinese

In addition to the few vocabulary words to know, such as “before, yesterday, last year,” the Chinese temporal markers to use for the past are:

  • 了 (le), which indicates a completed action in the past or a change of state.
  • 过 (guò), which indicates an experience that took place in the past but is no longer happening.
  • 是… 的 (shì… de), which indicates an action in the past but emphasizes the place, time, or manner.

Let’s now look at the difference between the three.

Chinese Tenses in the Past: The Particle 了

The particle 了 is a bit special because it serves both to indicate a completed action and to signal a change of state.

In the past tense, it can be placed in two positions:

  1. Right after the verb: 她 做 运动 了 (tā zuò yùndòng le) – She did / was doing sports.
  2. Between the verb and the object: 我 吃 了 一 个 苹果 (Wǒ chī le yī gè píngguǒ) – I ate an apple.

Both are correct, but the second way of speaking is more natural. However, be careful with the structure of the second sentence:

S + V + 了 + number + classifier + object

Classifiers are characters used to describe or measure objects. It’s similar to how we use “a pair of (scissors) / a glass of (water) / a slice of (ham)” in English, except it’s used with absolutely everything, not just uncountable nouns like in French.

The particle 了 can also be used to indicate a change of state. For example:

  • 我病了 (wǒ bìng le) – I am sick.
    Yesterday, I wasn’t; today, I am.
  • 下雨了！(xià yǔ le) – It’s raining!
    It wasn’t raining before; it just started.

However, be careful! The particle 了 is never used when there’s a continuous action, after an auxiliary or modal verb, or in a past negation. For example:

  • 上 个 月 我 每天 学 中文 (Shàng gè yuè wǒ měitiān xué zhōngwén) – I studied Chinese every day last month.
  • 昨天 我 想 吃 苹果 (Zuótiān wǒ xiǎng chī píngguǒ) – I wanted to eat apples yesterday.
  • 我 没 吃 早饭 (Wǒ méi chī zǎofàn) – I didn’t have breakfast.

The particle 过

This time marker is used to talk about an experience that has already happened but no longer occurs in the present. The particle 过 is commonly used in questions to ask if you have already done something. For example:

你 去 过 中国 吗 ？(Nǐ qù guò zhōngguó ma?) – Have you (ever) been to China?

In this case, you would respond with the same particle:

我 去 过。 (Wǒ qù guò) – Yes, I have (been there before).

The structure 是… 的

Another way to express the past is with the grammatical structure 是… 的. This structure emphasizes the circumstances of the action. For example:

  • 我们 是 在 大学 认识 的。 (Wǒmen shì zài dàxué rènshí de) – We met at the university.
    The action is in the past, but the emphasis is placed on the location of the meeting.
  • 我 是 1985 年 出生 的。 (Wǒ shì 1985 nián chūshēng de) – I was born in 1985.
    The action is also completed, but the emphasis is on the year of birth.

 

Talking about the present in Chinese

To speak in the present, as mentioned above in the sentence structure section, we use the simplest way to express ourselves: subject (+ time marker) + verb + object. Easy, right? If you’re a beginner, you can stop here.

For those with a slightly higher level, the present tense in Chinese has two specificities.

The adverb 正在

You can use the adverb 正在 (zhèngzài) to say “in the process of” or to talk about the present continuous. For example:

  • 我 正在 学习。 (Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí) – I am studying.
  • 我 正在 吃饭。 (Wǒ zhèngzài chīfàn) – I am eating.

The particle 着 (intermediate to advanced level)

The other specificity is the use of 着 (zhe). This particle is very useful for talking about:

  1. An ongoing action over time:
    • 这 本 书 在 桌子 上 放 着 。 (zhè běn shū zài zhuōzi shàng fàng zhe) – The book is placed on the table.

    In what state is the book? It is placed on the table. It has been there for a while and continues to be there, with no one taking it right away. It’s a constant state. That’s why “being placed” is considered an ongoing action.

    • 门 打开 着 。 (Mén dǎkāi zhe) – The door is open.

    Here, the door is open and stays open. No one is currently opening it to close it again. It’s a state.

  2. Two simultaneous actions:
    • 他 笑 着 吃饭。 (Tā xiào zhe chīfàn) – He is eating while laughing / He is eating with a smile.
    • 他 躺 着 看 电影。 (Tā tǎng zhe kàn diànyǐng) – He is watching a movie while lying down.

    Literally, these two sentences mean: He eats while laughing (He – laugh – 着 – eat) / He watches a movie while lying down (He – lie down – 着 – watch a movie).

    The two actions happen at the same time, simultaneously. These are not brief actions, but actions that continue.

Important note: The particle 着 always comes after the first verb, which is called a “stative verb.” This verb describes a situation while the second verb (the action) is happening. So, you can think of 着 as roughly meaning “while…-ing” in this context.

chinese-tenses-how-to-conjugate-past-present-and-future-in-chinese-mosalingua

Constructing the future in Chinese

Just like in the past and present tenses, there are temporal markers, or time adverbials, that help translate a Chinese sentence into the future tense. “Tomorrow / Friday evening / next week / etc.” are some examples. Here are two examples:

  • 我 明天 来 看 你。 (Wǒ míngtiān lái kàn nǐ) – I will come to see you tomorrow. (lit. I – tomorrow – come – see – you)
  • 我 明年 去 中国。 (Wǒ míngnián qù zhōngguó) – I will go to China next year. (lit. I – next year – go – China)

There is no specific time particle, but it is impossible to translate other than by using the future tense in this context. You or your listener will immediately understand that you are talking about the future. Temporal markers help indicate when the action takes place.

However, there are other ways to talk about the future. Let’s explore them together.

Chinese Tenses: the near future – 要

To talk about the near future, the Chinese use the verb 要 (yào). It is typically a modal verb meaning “want,” but it can also be translated as “going to” or “about to.” The action is certain and will happen. For example:

  • 飞机 要 起飞 了。(Fēijī yào qǐfēi le) – The plane is going to take off / The plane is about to take off.
  • 我 要 去 中国。 (Wǒ yào qù zhōngguó) – I am going to China.

Distant Future – 将 ou 会

To express a more distant future, 将 (jiāng) is used. For example:

  • 明年 我 将 参加 比赛。 (Míngnián wǒ jiāng cānjiā bǐsài) – I will take the exam next year.

But there is a second way to express the future, which is more commonly used in spoken language: with 会 (huì). So, in spoken language, you would say:

  • 明年 我 会 参加 比赛。 (Míngnián wǒ huì cānjiā bǐsài) – I will take the exam next year.

Important! Both of these particles are always placed between the subject and the verb.

Time Marker + S + 将 / 会 (/ 要) + V + O

Probable future – 会

The particle 会 is also used to talk about a highly probable future or a forecast. While it’s not 100% certain, there is a very high chance that it will happen. For example:

  • 明天 会 冷。 (Míngtiān huì lěng) – Tomorrow, it will be cold.
  • 她会来的。 (Tā huì lái de) – She will come.
  • 明天 你 会 来 吗 ？(Míngtiān nǐ huì lái ma?) – Will you come tomorrow?

Future with 以后

The adverb 以后 (yǐhòu) means “after, later, in the future” without specifying a precise time. It can be used to talk about an intention to do something or an event that will happen after other events. Here are a few examples:

  • 我 以后 给 你 打 电话。 (Wǒ yǐhòu gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà) – I will call you later.
  • 以后 我 要 去 中国。 (Yǐhòu wǒ yào qù zhōngguó) – I will go to China in a few years / in the future.
  • 以后 我 会 再 来 这里 。(Yǐhòu wǒ huì zài lái zhèlǐ) – I will come back here in the future / later.

 

You now have all the keys to start conjugating in Chinese! While there are no grammatical tenses in Chinese, particles and temporal markers will help you transform your sentences into the desired tense.

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