Introduction
着 (zhe) normally hangs a state on someone you have already introduced — 他坐着 (Tā zuò zhe). Turn the sentence around so the place comes first, and the same 着 lets you paint what is there: 桌子上放着一本书 (Zhuōzi shang fàng zhe yì běn shū) — there's a book lying on the table.
Overview
Structure: Place + Verb + 着 (zhe) + (Number + Measure Word) + Noun
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Place + V 着 + N | 桌子上放着一本书。(Zhuōzi shang fàng zhe yì běn shū.) | There's a book lying on the table. |
| With a quantity | 门口站着两个人。(Ménkǒu zhàn zhe liǎng ge rén.) | Two people are standing at the door. |
| On a wall | 墙上挂着一张照片。(Qiáng shang guà zhe yì zhāng zhàopiàn.) | A photo is hanging on the wall. |
| Negative | 桌子上没放着东西。(Zhuōzi shang méi fàng zhe dōngxi.) | There's nothing on the table. |
| Compare with 有 | 桌子上有一本书。(Zhuōzi shang yǒu yì běn shū.) | There's a book on the table. |
Place first, and no 在 (zài) in front of it:
- ✓ 桌子上放着一本书。(Zhuōzi shang fàng zhe yì běn shū.) ❌ 在桌子上放着一本书。(Zài zhuōzi shang fàng zhe yì běn shū.)
- The noun at the end is news, so it stays indefinite: ✓ 一本书 (yì běn shū) ❌ 那本书 (nà běn shū).
- 有 (yǒu) reports that something is there; 放着 (fàng zhe)、挂着 (guà zhe)、站着 (zhàn zhe) also tell you how it is there.
- Word order is the whole trick: 桌子上放着一本书 (Zhuōzi shang fàng zhe yì běn shū) introduces the book; 那本书放在桌子上 (Nà běn shū fàng zài zhuōzi shang) puts a book you both know somewhere.
Examples
桌子上放着一本书。
Zhuōzi shang fàng zhe yì běn shū.
There's a book lying on the table.
门口站着两个人。
Ménkǒu zhàn zhe liǎng ge rén.
Two people are standing at the door.
墙上挂着一张中国地图。
Qiáng shang guà zhe yì zhāng Zhōngguó dìtú.
There's a map of China on the wall.
教室里坐着很多学生。
Jiàoshì li zuò zhe hěn duō xuésheng.
A lot of students are sitting in the classroom.
床上放着他的衣服。
Chuáng shang fàng zhe tā de yīfu.
His clothes are lying on the bed.
外面下着雨，别出去了。
Wàimiàn xià zhe yǔ, bié chūqù le.
It's raining outside, don't go out.
Usage Notes
- The verbs that work here are the ones that leave something in place: 放 (fàng)、挂 (guà)、站 (zhàn)、坐 (zuò)、写 (xiě)、开 (kāi).
- The place needs a position word unless it is already a place name: 桌子上 (zhuōzi shang)、教室里 (jiàoshì li), but 门口 (ménkǒu) and 外面 (wàimiàn) stand alone.
- Because the final noun is new, it usually carries a number and measure word, or 很多 (hěn duō).
- Negate with 没 (méi), not 不 (bù): 墙上没挂着照片。(Qiáng shang méi guà zhe zhàopiàn.)
- This is how descriptions of rooms, streets and photos are written in Chinese — one place, then one 着 (zhe) clause after another.