着 — describing a continuing state

The classroom door is open

• You walk past the classroom at lunch. Nobody is inside, but the door is open and the lights are on.
• 门开mén kāi(ongoing -ing)着zhe，lamp灯dēngalso也yě开着kāi zhe。 — "The door is open, and the lights are on too."

Verb + (ongoing -ing)着zhe: a continuing state

• (ongoing -ing)着zhe (zhe) after a verb shows a state that continues: 门开mén kāi(ongoing -ing)着zhe, the door is (standing) open; he他tāattire穿着chuān zheone, a一yī(measure word)件jiànred红hóngjacket衣服yīfu, he is wearing a red jacket.
• It describes how things are, not a quick action. to open a door (lit. and…开门kāi mén is the action of opening; 门开mén kāi(ongoing -ing)着zhe is the result that stays.

he他tāwear穿chuān着zhea一yí(measure word)件jiànred红hóngjacket衣服yīfu。

Describing a place

• Place + verb + (ongoing -ing)着zhe + thing: table桌子zhuōzion上shangplace放fàng(ongoing -ing)着zheone, a一yī(measure word)本běnbook书shū。 — "There is a book lying on the table."
• wall墙qiángon上shangto write写xiě(ongoing -ing)着zhename (of a person or thing)名字míng zì。 — "Names are written on the wall." This pattern is common in descriptions of rooms and pictures.

table桌子zhuōzion上shangplace放fàng着zhea一yì(measure word)本běnbook书shū。

Doing one thing while doing another

• he他tāto laugh笑xiào(ongoing -ing)着zhevariant of 说说shuō："hello你好nǐ hǎo！" — "He said hello with a smile." The first verb with (ongoing -ing)着zhe shows the manner of the second action.
• we / us我们wǒ mento sit坐zuò(ongoing -ing)着zheto have a meal吃饭chī fàn(suggestion)吧ba。 — "Let's sit down to eat."

Watch out

Recap