Chinese Grammar Bank || How to use 着

 how to use 着 (zhe) in alternative existential sentences.

 着 is a particle used to indicated the continuous aspect of a situation.
 We can also use it to express the existence, appearance, or disappearance of
someone or something.

How to use 着 || Basic Structure

We often pair 着 with stative verbs in existential structures to express that someone or something
exists, and there is a continuous state. The structure is as follows.
Place + Verb + 着 + [Noun Phrase]
 Verb: Unlike action verbs, the verb here describes a state such as sitting, standing, or
lying
 Noun Phrase: Something or Somebody
Chinese Pinyin English

cān zhuō shàng fàng zhe yí gè píng guǒ

餐桌上放着一个苹果派。 There is an apple pie on the table.
pài .

教室里站着一个学生。 jiào shì lǐ zhàn zhe yí gè xué shēng . There is a student standing in the classroom.

墙上挂着一个钟表。 qiáng shàng guà zhe yí gè zhōng biǎo . There is a clock on the wall.

tián yě lǐ zhǒng zhe chéng piàn de dào gǔ

田野里种着成片的稻谷。 There are patches of rice planted in the fields.
.

地下室里堆着许多旧东
dì xià shì lǐ duī zhe xǔ duō jiù dōng xī . There is lots of old stuff piled up in the basement.
西。

There are several cars parked on the side of the

路边停着几辆轿车。 lù biān tíng zhe jǐ liàng jiào chē .
road.

窗台上摆着两盆花。 chuāng tái shàng bǎi zhe liǎng pén huā . There are two pots of flowers on the windowsill.

Note that in English we sometimes use a verb in its “-ing” form, and sometimes use the
passive “-ed” form of the verb.
Expressing Existence || Structure With 是
“是” is also often used in alternative existing sentences to indicate the location or area.
It’s worth noting that there’s no real time indication for 是 structure. It could be setting a scene
in a story (in the past) or describing the current state of things (in the present).
The sentence structure is:
Place + 是 + [Noun Phrase]
Let’s look at the following two sentences:
 盒子里是一条项链。
 盒子里放着一条项链。
Comparing the two examples, they both mean “there’s a necklace inside the box.” However,
there’s a slight difference between the sentences.
 In the first sentence, the object (项链) that comes after 是 is the only thing (worth
mentioning) in that area.
 In other words, if you use 是 in the sentence, that indicates, “There is nothing in the box
other than the necklace.”
Here are some example sentences of 是 structure:
Chinese Pinyin English

桌子上是昨天没吃完 zhuō zi shàng shì zuó tiān méi chī The food that was left over from yesterday is on
的菜。 wán de cài the table.

抽屉里是几个笔记
chōu tì lǐ shì jǐ gè bǐ jì běn There are some notebooks in the drawer.
本。

书包里是我的作业。 shū bāo lǐ shì wǒ de zuò yè My homework is in the bag.

墙上是她和家人的照 qiáng shàng shì tā hé jiā rén de There are pictures of her and her family on the
片。 zhào piān wall.

箱子里是给你的礼
xiāng zi lǐ shì gěi nǐ de lǐ wù Your gift is in the box.
物。

洗衣机里是一些脏衣 There are dirty clothes inside the washing

xǐ yī jī lǐ shì yī xiē zàng yī fú 
服。 machine.

You should also note that 是 is used to describe a singular object existing somewhere, while
有 can refer to multiple objects/people.