In Mandarin Chinese grammar structure, there is no verb conjugations, however, there are some ways to express completed actions or past tense.
1 Indicate the time frame,
2 Use past tense particle 了 le,
3 Use experienced action marker 过 guo,
4 Use suffix 好 hao indicating completion or readiness，
5 Use certain adverbs － 刚刚 gang gang, 刚才 gang cai, 已经 yi jing, 曾 经 ceng jing, 不久前 bu jiu qian, 早已 zao yi, 之前 zhi qian, and 已前 yi qian，
6 Use the verb you 有 to show action did occur and
7 Combine 了 le with some of them.
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1 Indicate a time frame, the time that the action was done or completed.
他–去年–去雪梨。
tā qùnián qù xuělí .
tā (he) qùnián (last year) qù (go) xuělí (Sydney) .
He went to Sydney — last year–.
我–昨天–考试。
Wǒ zuótiān kǎoshì .
Wǒ (I) zuótiān (yesterday) kǎoshì (take a test) .
I had a test –yesterday–.
小丽–上午–去看牙医。
Xiǎo Lí shàng wǔ qù kàn yáyī.
Xiǎo (lttle) Lí (person first name) shàng wǔ (morning) qù (go) kàn (see) yá (teeth) yī (doctor).
Little Li went to see the dentist –this morning–.
妹妹–一个小时前–出去玩。
mèimei yī ge xiǎoshí qián chūqù wán .
mèimei (young sister) yī (one) ge (general measure word for anything) xiǎoshí (hour) qián (before) chūqù (go out) wán (play) .
Young sister went to play — one hour ago–.
妈妈–五分钟前–做好饭。
māma wǔ fēnzhōng qián zuò hǎo fàn .
māma (mother) wǔ (five) fēnzhōng (minutes) qián (before) zuò (do) hǎo (finished) fàn (meal) .
Mother finished cooking– five minutes ago–.
2 Use past tense particle 了 le — completed action marker
If you want to convey the idea about an action has occurred or finished in the past, you can use the 了 le particle in combination with an action verb. You can directly put the particle le after the verb. For example,
他出去了。
tā chūqu le .
tā (he) chūqu (go out) le (past tense particle) .
He went out.
宝宝哭了。
bǎobao kū le .
bǎobao (baby) kū (cry) le ( past tense particle) .
Baby cried.
老师生气了。
lǎoshī shēngqì le .
lǎoshī (teacher) shēng (grow) qì (anger) le (past tense particle ).
Teacher got angry.
Or you can put le at the end of verb phrase
我吃水果了。
Wǒ chī shuǐguǒ le .
Wǒ (I) chī (eat) shuǐguǒ (fruit) le (past tense particle) .
I ate fruit.
他打过球了。
tā dǎ guò qiú le .
tā (He) dǎ (hit or play) guò (past experience particle) qiú (ball) le (past tense particleP .
He played ball.
姐姐洗碗了。
jiějie xǐwǎn le .
jiějie (older sister) xǐ (wash) wǎn (dishes) le (past tense particle) .
Old sister washed dishes.
小狗啃骨头了。
xiǎo gǒu kěn gútou le .
xiǎo (little) gǒu (dog) kěn (chew) gútou (bone) le (past tense particle) .
Little dog chewed bones.
3 过 guo — experienced action marker to express action has occurred and done. 过 is usually put after the verb and before the direct object.
我来过北京。
Wǒ lái guo Běijīng .
Wǒ (I) lái (come) guo (past experience particleP Běijīng (Beijing).
I came Beijing before.
他洗过车。
tā xǐ guò chē .
tā (he) xǐ (wash) guò (past experience particle) chē (car) .
He washed the car before.
哥哥受过伤。
gēge shòu guo shāng .
gēge (older brother) shòu (get or receive or suffer) guo (past tense particle) shāng (wound) .
Older brother got wounded before.
4 Use hao — suffix indicating completion or readiness
我做好功课。
Wǒ zuò hǎo gōngkè .
Wǒ (I) zuò (do) hǎo (finished) gōngkè (homework) .
I did my homework.
他看好医生。
tā kàn hǎo yīshēng .
tā (he) kàn (see) hǎo (finished) yīshēng (doctor) .
He saw the doctor.
张太太浇好花。
zhāng tàitài jiāo hǎo huā .
zhāng (family name) tàitài (Mrs.) jiāo (water) hǎo (finished) huā (flowers).
Mrs. Zhang watered flowers.
王先生擦好窗户。
wáng xiān shéng cā hǎo chuānghù .
wáng (family name) xiān shéng (Mr.) cā (wipe) hǎo (finished) chuānghù (window) .
Mr. Wang wiped windows.
5 Use certain adverbs
刚刚
gānggāng
A short while ago
爸爸–刚刚–回家。
bàba gānggāng huíjiā .
bàba (father) gānggāng (a short while ago) huí (return) jiā (home) .
Father just came home a short while ago.
猫–刚刚–睡醒。
māo gānggāng shuìxǐng .
māo (cat) gānggāng (a short while agao) shuì (sleep) xǐng (woke up) .
The cat just woke up a short while ago.
不久前
bù jiǔ qián
Not long ago
蝴蝶–不久前–破茧而出。
húdié bù jiǔ qián pò jiǎn ér chū .
húdié (butterfly) bù (not) jiǔ (long) qián (before) pò (break) jiǎn (cocoon) ér (classic conjunction particle, and) chū (out) .
The butterfly just came out of cocoon not long ago.
******
我–不久前–把文章写完。
Wǒ bù jiǔ qián bǎ wénzhāng xiěwán.
Wǒ (I) bù (not) jiǔ (long) qián (before or ago) bǎ (active voice marker) wénzhāng (article) xiě (write) wán (finished) .
I finished writing the article not long ago.
已经
yǐjīng
Already
玩具–已经–不见。
wánjù yǐjīng bùjiàn .
wánjù (toys) yǐjīng (already) bù (not) jiàn (see) .
Toys have already disappeared.
看电视太多， 他已经上瘾。
kàn diànshì tài duō , tā yǐjīng shàngyǐn.
kàn (see) diànshì (TV) tài (too) duō (many) , tā (he) yǐjīng (already) shàngyǐn (addicted).
Watching too much TV, he already got addicted to it.
早已
zǎoyǐ
Long ago
他–早已–死心。
tā zǎoyǐ sǐxīn .
tā (he) zǎo (long ago) yǐ (already) sǐ (die) xīn (heart) .
He has long given up.
学生–早已–做好功课。
xuésheng zǎoyǐ zuò hǎo gōngkè .
Students have long done their homework.
之前
zhīqián
Before
他–之前–去北京。
tā zhīqián qù Běijīng .
tā (he) zhīqián (before) qù (go) Běijīng (Beijing).
He went to Beijing before.
我–之前–喜欢唱歌。
Wǒ zhīqián xǐhuān chànggē .
Wǒ (I) zhīqián (before) xǐhuān (like) chàng (sing) gē (song) .
I liked to sing songs before.
以前
yǐqián
Before
舅舅–以前–常常喝酒。
jiùjiu yǐqián chángcháng hē jiǔ .
jiùjiu (uncle) yǐqián (before) chángcháng (often) hē (drink) jiǔ (wine) .
Uncle often drank before.
*jiùjiu refers to maternal side’s uncle
阿姨–以前–常常生病。
āyí yǐqián chángcháng shēngbìng .
āyí (aunt) yǐqián (before) chángcháng (often) shēngbìng (got sick) .
Aunt often got sick before.
āyí refers to maternal side’s aunt
曾经
céngjīng
Once
他–曾经–养很多老鼠。
tā céngjīng yǎng hěn duō lǎoshǔ .
tā (he) céngjīng (once) yǎng (raise) hěn (very) duō (many) lǎoshǔ (mice) .
Once he raised many mice.
这个女孩–曾经–很爱吃。
zhè ge nǚhái céngjīng hěn ài chī .
zhè (this) ge (measure word) nǚhái (girl) céngjīng (once) hěn (very, or really) ài (love) chī (eat) .
Once this girl loved to eat.
6 Use the verb you 有 to show action did occur — 有 + verb = have verbed, and the opposite 没有 mei you mean did not or have not. Remember that you can only use 没 mei to negate 没有 you, never say 不有 bu you.
他有看书。
tā yǒu kàn shū .
tā (he) yǒu (have) kàn (read) shū (book).
He has read books.
negate
他没有有看书。
tā méi yǒu kàn shū .
tā (he) méi (not) yǒu (have) kàn (read) shū (book) .
He has not read books.
我有去散步。
Wǒ yǒu qù sànbù .
Wǒ (I) yǒu (have) qù (go) sànbù (take a stroll, or take a walk) .
I have taken a walk.
negate
我没有去散步。
Wǒ méi yǒu qù sàn bù .
Wǒ (I) méi (not) yǒu (have) qù (go) sàn bù (take a walk) .
I have not taken a walk.
他的朋友有送他礼物。
tā de péngyou yǒu sòng tā lǐwù .
tā (he) de (connecting particle, tā de means his ) péngyou (friend) yǒu (have) sòng (give) tā (him) lǐwù (gift) .
His friends have given him gifts.
negate
他的朋友没有送他礼物。
tā de péngyou méi yǒu sòng tā lǐwù .
tā de (his) péngyou (friend) méi yǒu (have not) sòng (give) tā (him) lǐwù (gift) .
His friends have not given him gifts.
7 Remember that the above methods of forming past tense sentences, they can sometimes be combined together.
The 了 le is past tense marker and if it got put at the end, it also serves as sentence final particle. For the detailed annotation of the following sentences, see above.
A guo + le
他洗过车了。
tā xǐ guò chē le .
He has washed the car.
哥哥受过伤了。
gēge shòu guo shāng le .
Old brother has gotten wounded.
B hao + le
我做好功课了。
Wǒ zuò hǎo gōngkè le .
I have done the homework.
他看好医生了。
tā kàn hǎo yīshēng le .
I have done seeing the doctor.
C you + le
我有去散步了。
Wǒ yǒu qù sànbù le .
I have taken a walk.
他的朋友有送他礼物了。
tā de péngyou yǒu sòng tā lǐwù le.
His friends have given him gifts.
D time frame + le
他去年去雪梨了。
tā qù nián qù xuělí le .
He went to Sydney last year.
我昨天考试了。
Wǒ zuótiān kǎoshì le.
I took a test yesterday.
D adverb + le
看电视太多， 他已经上瘾了。
kàn diànshì tài duō , tā yǐjīng shàng yǐn le.
He watched too much television, and he already got addicted to it.
学生早已做好功课了。
xuésheng zǎoyǐ zuò hǎo gōngkè le .
Students long ago have done the homework.
The list is endless. If you have something to share about how to form past tense in Mandarin Chinese, please let us know. Thank you for sharing and wish you best in learning Chinese every moment!
Enya – Only Time