Past Tense in Chinese? Master 了, 过 & 是…的 (Mandarin)

Chinese doesn’t use verb tenses like English—so how do you say what already happened? In this lesson, you’ll master how to talk about the past in Mandarin using 了 (le), 过 (guo), and 是…的 (shì…de), plus must-know time words like 昨天、以前、刚才、已经. Perfect for HSK 1–4 learners and anyone who wants natural, confident Chinese. ⏳🀄

What you’ll learn

The Chinese way to talk about past events (no verb tenses—use aspect + time words)

了 (verb-了 vs sentence-了) for completed actions & change of state

Negation: 没/没有 + V (no 了), and 没…过

过 for “have (ever) done” experiences

是…的 to spotlight details of a past event (time/place/manner)

Essential time words: 昨天、上个(星期/月)、刚才、已经、以前

Common mistakes to avoid + speaking drills

Quick examples

我吃了早饭。Wǒ chī le zǎofàn. — I ate breakfast.

我没吃早饭。Wǒ méi chī zǎofàn. — I didn’t eat breakfast.

我去过北京。Wǒ qù guo Běijīng. — I’ve been to Beijing.

我是去年在上海学的中文。Wǒ shì qùnián zài Shànghǎi xué de Zhōngwén. — It was last year in Shanghai that I studied Chinese.

Suggested chapters (adjust to your video)

00:00 Intro
01:02 How Chinese expresses the past (no tenses)
03:25 了: verb-了 vs sentence-了
08:15 Negation with 没(有) & 没…过
10:40 过: experiential “have ever”
13:35 是…的: highlighting past details
16:20 Time words: 昨天 / 上个… / 刚才 / 已经 / 以前
19:05 Duration + 了 (了2)
22:10 Practice & common mistakes
24:30 Wrap-up & next steps

Who this is for

Beginners to lower-intermediate learners (HSK 1–4), self-studyers, and anyone who wants clear, practical Mandarin grammar.

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#Chinese #Mandarin #ChineseGrammar #LearnChinese #HSK #MandarinForBeginners

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