Sentence + 来着 (recalling the recent past)
IntroducedRecall a name learned long ago
- You recognise an old classmate but cannot recall the name you once knew.
- he / him他variant of 叫叫what什么name (of a person or thing)名字to come来(ongoing -ing)着？ — The speaker is trying to retrieve an earlier known fact.
Locate the pattern in real examples
- Sentence + to come来(ongoing -ing)着 (recalling the recent past): you你just now刚才say说what什么to come来(ongoing -ing)着?; he / him他variant of 叫叫what什么name (of a person or thing)名字to come来(ongoing -ing)着?
- Read the whole clause before choosing a translation. The examples show the pattern in use; the context below determines what the speaker claims.
You recognise an old classmate but cannot recall the name you once knew. What does 他叫什么名字来着？ communicate?
The speaker is trying to retrieve an earlier known fact. The recalled information need not be recent. 明天几点开会来着 can recall a previously announced future meeting time; 来着 is not a ban on future-time words.
Follow the speaker
you你just now刚才say说what什么(recall)来着？
- In the opening situation: he / him他variant of 叫叫what什么name (of a person or thing)名字to come来(ongoing -ing)着？
- The speaker is trying to retrieve an earlier known fact.
Using the pattern named in this lesson: What were you saying just now? 你刚才说什么 ____?
Sentence + 来着 recalls a recent thing: 说什么来着?
来着 is casual and goes at the end of the sentence.
Yes — Sentence + 来着.
Check the limit of the explanation
- The recalled information need not be recent.
- tomorrow明天what time?几点to hold a meeting开会to come来(ongoing -ing)着 can recall a previously announced future meeting time; to come来(ongoing -ing)着 is not a ban on future-time words.
来着 requires that the remembered fact was learned only a few seconds ago.
The recalled information need not be recent. 明天几点开会来着 can recall a previously announced future meeting time; 来着 is not a ban on future-time words. The speaker is trying to retrieve an earlier known fact.
Repair the form before interpreting it
- The form to come来(ongoing -ing)着he / him他variant of 叫叫what什么name (of a person or thing)名字 needs repair here. Write he / him他variant of 叫叫what什么name (of a person or thing)名字to come来(ongoing -ing)着 instead; keep the word or frame in its demonstrated order.
- Form and meaning are separate checks. After the repair, explain the sentence in its situation rather than treating a familiar translation as a universal rule.
Rewrite the demonstrated repair exactly: 来着他叫什么名字
The demonstrated form is 他叫什么名字来着. The speaker is trying to retrieve an earlier known fact.
Keep the distinction
- The speaker is trying to retrieve an earlier known fact. Check the relevant speaker, time or group in the surrounding context.
- The recalled information need not be recent. tomorrow明天what time?几点to hold a meeting开会to come来(ongoing -ing)着 can recall a previously announced future meeting time; to come来(ongoing -ing)着 is not a ban on future-time words.
Read the full reference: HSK 6 grammar — Auxiliary words.
他叫什么名字来着？ asks the speaker or listener to…
The known information need not have been learned recently. A future appointment can also be recalled if its details were announced earlier.
You recognise an old classmate but cannot recall the name you once knew. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.