Level 2 · Elementary
Past experiences with 过
Verb + 过 · Traditional: Verb + 過
过 (guo) after a verb means "have done it before (at least once in your life)": 我去过中国 "I've been to China". It's about experience, not about when it happened.
The negative keeps 过 (unlike 了): 我没去过中国 "I've never been to China". Compare: 他去了北京 "he went to Beijing (a specific completed trip)" vs. 他去过北京 "he has been to Beijing (sometime, at least once)".
Examples
我去过中国。
我去過中國。
wǒ qù guò zhōng guó
I've been to China.
你看过这个电影吗？
你看過這個電影嗎？
nǐ kàn guò zhè ge diàn yǐng ma
Have you seen this movie?
我没坐过飞机。
我沒坐過飛機。
wǒ méi zuò guò fēi jī
I've never been on a plane.
他来过我家。
他來過我家。
tā lái guò wǒ jiā
He has been to my place before.
Common mistakes
✗ 我没去了中国。
✓ 我没去过中国。
For "never have", use 没 + verb + 过 — 没 and 了 don't go together.
Related grammar points
Practice this pattern in graded stories like Grandpa's Map (Part 1), The Roast Duck (Part 11), Climbing the Great Wall (Part 10) inside the Literate Chinese app.
