初学者中文故事：我们去过哪里？

What does 过 (guo) mean after a verb in Chinese?

Stick 过 (guo, neutral tone) right after a verb and it shifts the meaning from a single past event to a life experience. 去中国 is “go to China”; 去过中国 is “have been to China.” The distinction matters: 去了 means you went on a specific occasion, while 去过 means it happened at least once in your life, without saying when.

In this beginner story, the difference drives every question: 你去过哪里？(“Where have you been to?”), 他去过中国 (“He has been to China”), and 还没去过 (“hasn’t been yet”) all hinge on 过. Negate it with 没 — never with 不: 我没去过法国 = “I’ve never been to France.” The same pattern stacks onto any verb: 你吃过北京烤鸭吗？(“Have you ever eaten Peking duck?”)