How to say “once” in Chinese with 曾经 (céngjīng)
Subj. + 曾经 (céngjīng) + Verb + 过 (guo)
曾经 (zēng jīng) — once
Subj. + 曾经 (céngjīng) + Verb + 过 (guo)
HSK 5Adverbs曾经 (zēng jīng) — once
Rule structure
曾经 (zēng jīng) (céngjīng) is an adverb meaning "once, ever" (past experience). It emphasizes that an action happened at some indefinite point in the past and often pairs with 过 (guo).
Rule structure
曾经 (zēng jīng) (céngjīng) is an adverb meaning "once, ever" (past experience). It emphasizes that an action happened at some indefinite point in the past and often pairs with 过 (guo).
Examples
我曾经在北京住过。
Wǒ céngjīng zài Běijīng zhù guo.
I once lived in Beijing.
Examples
我曾经在北京住过。
Wǒ céngjīng zài Běijīng zhù guo.
I once lived in Beijing.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say “once” in Chinese with 曾经?
Use the structure: Subj. + 曾经 (céngjīng) + Verb + 过 (guo). For example: 我曾经在北京住过。 — “I once lived in Beijing.”.
What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?
我曾经在北京住过。 — “I once lived in Beijing.”.
Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?
This grammar rule is part of HSK 5.
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More HSK 5 grammar rules
还…呢 — still in progress
Subj. + 还 (hái) + Predicate + 呢 (ne)
干脆 — just do it
干脆 (gāncuì) + Verb Phrase
都…还 — already, and still
Subj. + 都 (dōu) + Predicate
再也不 — never again
Subj. + 再也 (zài yě) + 不 (bù) + Verb Phrase + 了 (le)
再不 — last chance with “if not… then…”
Subj. + 再不 (zài bù) + Verb Phrase, 就 (jiù) + result
好不容易 — difficulty, “finally”
好不容易 (hǎo bù róngyì) / 好容易 (hǎo róngyì) + 才 (cái) + Verb Phrase
总 — always, all the time
总 (zǒng) + Verb Phrase
白 — wasted effort
白 (bái) + Verb Phrase