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핵심 단어 4
了 vs 过
Contrast two aspect markers that both look backward but mean different things.
Pattern
Verb + 了 for event; verb + 过 for experience
Use 了 for a completed or changed situation, and 过 for life experience.
我昨天看了这个电影。
When to use 了 vs 过
了 often focuses on an event happening or a situation changing. 过 focuses on whether the experience has happened at least once.
我看过这个电影。
I have seen this movie before.
我已经吃饭了。
I have already eaten.
她去过中国。
She has been to China.
她去中国了。
She went to China / has gone to China.
Common traps
- Do not call 了 “past tense.”
- 过 does not point to one exact finished event by itself.
- Negate 过 experience with 没...过.
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Targeted drill
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