<p>According to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashi_Wentong" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia</a>, the first Chinese's grammar《馬氏文通》is written by 馬建忠 in 1898, meaning that most likely, there was no use at all of 過去式、現在式 and 未來式 before that. Now, if we investigate a bit by searching the tenses we are interested in, we can <a href="https://ctext.org/wiki.pl?if=gb&amp;chapter=223793#p218" rel="nofollow noreferrer">quote</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>記時之式有四：一，<strong>事成之時</strong>；二，<strong>既往之時</strong>；三，幾時之久；四，<strong>未來之時</strong>。凡此四時，類無介字為先，故亦列於賓次。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In my understanding, this states the existence of three tenses corresponding to the <strong>perfect</strong>, the <strong>past</strong> and the <strong>future</strong>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-24T02:58:13.150Z
2020-07-24T02:58:13.150Z
Firmin Martin
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenseless_language" rel="nofollow noreferrer">So according to Wikipedia</a> and other sources, Chinese was a tenseless language. It has aspects and moods that refer to time frames, but not tense itself.</p>
<p>This suggests to me that the nouns expressing concept of tense — past (过去), present (现在), future (未来) — are words imported from English and other European languages, and hence are new words.</p>
<p>Most likely, per the history of modernization, the Japanese first used those words to refer to specific tenses, which the Chinese imported in the 1900s.</p>
<p>Is this true? Or did the Chinese have words referring to specific tenses while not explicitly having a tense concept played out in their language?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-24T01:51:34.223Z
Maybe you should search this site first.  I am sure a common  topic  like 'tense'  must had been asked many times. Here is one result https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22011/how-do-you-specify-past-tense-for-%e6%98%af/22016#22016
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-24T02:18:17.530Z
To be sure, this is a question on the etymology of the words, guoqushi, xianzaishi and meilaishi.
Guset
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-24T06:28:51.923Z
Maybe you need to clarify the question a bit. It looks to me like you're asking if the words 過去, 現在 and 未來 are imported to be used for the tenses, which of course isn't the case. You can talk about the past, present and future in a language even if it doesn't have tense. If you mean the specific way of using 時 appended to these words, then maybe your question would be clearer if you wrote that!
Olle Linge
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-24T09:02:07.553Z
Please edit your question to reflect exactly what you are asking. Incorporating your own comments will work. Right now if one doesn't read the comments, it's not clear how Firmin Martin's answer relates at all.
blackgreen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-06T04:48:57.273Z
Dear Blackgreen, it means as it reads. I am really asking about the etymology of these words.
Guset
<etymology><past-tense>
What is the etymology of Chinese tense words?
# What is the etymology of Chinese tense words?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-07-24)

[So according to Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenseless_language) and other sources, Chinese was a tenseless language. It has aspects and moods that refer to time frames, but not tense itself.

This suggests to me that the nouns expressing concept of tense — past (过去), present (现在), future (未来) — are words imported from English and other European languages, and hence are new words.

Most likely, per the history of modernization, the Japanese first used those words to refer to specific tenses, which the Chinese imported in the 1900s.

Is this true? Or did the Chinese have words referring to specific tenses while not explicitly having a tense concept played out in their language?

**Tags:** etymology, past-tense

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Maybe you should search this site first.  I am sure a common  topic  like 'tense'  must had been asked many times. Here is one result https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22011/how-do-you-specify-past-tense-for-%e6%98%af/22016#22016  
> **username_0**: To be sure, this is a question on the etymology of the words, guoqushi, xianzaishi and meilaishi.  
> **username_2**: Maybe you need to clarify the question a bit. It looks to me like you're asking if the words 過去, 現在 and 未來 are imported to be used for the tenses, which of course isn't the case. You can talk about the past, present and future in a language even if it doesn't have tense. If you mean the specific way of using 時 appended to these words, then maybe your question would be clearer if you wrote that!  
> **username_3**: Please edit your question to reflect exactly what you are asking. Incorporating your own comments will work. Right now if one doesn't read the comments, it's not clear how username_4 username_4's answer relates at all.  
> **username_0**: Dear username_3, it means as it reads. I am really asking about the etymology of these words.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-07-24. Score: 2

According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashi_Wentong), the first Chinese's grammar《馬氏文通》is written by 馬建忠 in 1898, meaning that most likely, there was no use at all of 過去式、現在式 and 未來式 before that. Now, if we investigate a bit by searching the tenses we are interested in, we can [quote](https://ctext.org/wiki.pl?if=gb&chapter=223793#p218):

> 記時之式有四：一，**事成之時**；二，**既往之時**；三，幾時之久；四，**未來之時**。凡此四時，類無介字為先，故亦列於賓次。

In my understanding, this states the existence of three tenses corresponding to the **perfect**, the **past** and the **future**.


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