Lesson 6. Noun + verb + noun Present perfect tense

Most of time, you speak Chinese without having to clarify the time frame you are referring to because people can understand through the context.  However, there are some situations where you would emphasize that the action or event has already taken place.  Such cases are referred to as present perfect tense in English.  In Chinese, it means putting some other structural adverbs at proper positions in the sentence. Knowing the use of following adverb structures will help you learn how to use express present perfect tense in Chinese.  Similar to future tense, the adverbs presenting present perfect tense are often put between the subject noun and verb as following:   Noun + adverb + verb + noun 1. 了  le   Adverb.  了is always put at the end of sentence and means already and help indicates perfect tense of the verb. See the following example: 2. 花开了 hua1 kai1 le   The flower has blossomed. 了is only a slight indication of present perfect tense.  To emphasize the perfect tense, you need to use some other adverbs in addition. 3. 已经 yi3 jing1   Adverb. Also means already    已经is always put right before the verbs. See the next 2 example: 4. 电影已经开始了 dian4 ying3 yi3 jing1 kai1 shi3 le   The movie has already started 5. 项目已经完成了 xiang4 mu4 yi3 jing1 wan2 cheng2 le   The project has finished. Another adverb similar to已经 is introduced below: 6. 过 guo4   Adverb. Also means already   Unlike 已经, 过has to be put after the verbs and used together with 了. Two more examples using过: 7. 我吃过午饭了 wo3 chi1 guo4 wu3 fan4 le   I have already had lunch. 8. 他读过这本书了 ta1 du2 guo4 zhe4 ben3 shu1 le   He has already read the book. Sometimes the three adverbs are used altogether to give a strong emphasis on the perfect tense.  See the next example: 9.  我已经服过药了  wo3 yi3 jing1 fu2 guo4 yao4 le   I have already taken the medicine, (meaning that I do not have to take it again?