<p>着 is a strong termination mark for an adverbial clause.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他坐着吃饭 = 他 / 坐着 / 看书</p>
  
  <p>他笑着回答 = 他 / 笑着 / 回答</p>
  
  <p>他哭着跑开 = 他 / 哭着 / 跑开</p>
</blockquote>

<p>着 here terminate the whole adverbial clauses.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>你哭着 <em>you crying</em> + 你对我说 <em>you say to me</em> = 你哭着对我说 <em>you say to me in tears</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>One can easily separate out 哭着 because it's a whole.</p>

<hr>

<p>Back to your original question, 着 has to be at the end of the clause, and hence 在沙发上坐着 (not <em>坐着在沙发上</em>). It will be understood as</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他 / 在沙发上坐着 / 看报纸。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>However, the sentence is also grammatically correct if you add a comma after 着. It will sound like there are two predicates rather than one (modified by an adverbial clause).</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他坐着，在沙发上看报纸。</p>
  
  <p>He is sitting, <strong>and</strong> reading newspapers on the sofa.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In general, anything that belongs to an adverbial clause should go before 着.</p>

<hr>

<p>One exception though is when the verb is transitive.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>孩子 / 抱着妈妈 / 哭了起来。 <em>Hugging his mother, the child started to cry.</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>In this case, the object can be put after 着.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-04T12:22:23.573Z
2020-06-04T16:36:59.903Z
2020-06-04T16:36:59.903Z
ekd123
<p>着= "ing"</p>

<p>他坐着在沙发上看报纸 Have two verb.  S + V(ing)(sitting) + V(ing)(reading) + O(newspaper)+adj( on the sofa )</p>

<p>There is two verb but only one S without conjunction.</p>

<p>You could said: 他在沙发上坐着"且"在看着报纸。</p>

<p>He is sitting on the sofa and reading the newspaper.</p>

<p>S + V + O + conjunction + V2 + O2</p>

<p>(1) 他坐在沙发上看报纸. S + adj(坐在沙發上 sitting on the sofa) + V (reading)+ O (newspaper)</p>

<p>(2) 他坐在沙发上看着报纸. S + adj(坐在沙發上 sitting on the sofa) + V(ing) (reading)+ O (newspaper)</p>

<p>(3) 他在沙发上坐着看报纸. S + adj(在沙發上坐着 sitting on the sofa) + V (reading)+ O (newspaper)</p>

<p>PS:  在沙发上坐着 = 坐在沙发上 = sitting on the sofa</p>

<p>It's hard to explain, hope I express clearly enough.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-02T10:04:03.393Z
Careful - we don't use 著 for 着 outside of Taiwan. 著 usually means 著名.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-02T16:14:17.957Z
I do not clearly understand :(
Jenny
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-02T07:56:02.667Z
2020-06-02T10:02:20.643Z
2020-06-02T10:02:20.643Z
高鵬翔
<pre><code>他坐着在沙发上看报纸. He is sitting on the sofa and reading newspaper.
</code></pre>

<p>A friend tells me it should be </p>

<p>(1) 他坐在沙发上看报纸.</p>

<p>(2) 他坐在沙发上看着报纸.</p>

<p>(3) 他在沙发上坐着看报纸.</p>

<p>Can anyone explain to me <strong>why the original one is wrong?</strong></p>

<grammar>
Why I cannot say "他坐着在沙发上看报纸“？
# Why I cannot say "他坐着在沙发上看报纸“？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-02)

```
他坐着在沙发上看报纸. He is sitting on the sofa and reading newspaper.

```

A friend tells me it should be

(1) 他坐在沙发上看报纸.

(2) 他坐在沙发上看着报纸.

(3) 他在沙发上坐着看报纸.

Can anyone explain to me **why the original one is wrong?**

**Tags:** grammar


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-04. Score: 2

着 is a strong termination mark for an adverbial clause.

> 他坐着吃饭 = 他 / 坐着 / 看书
>
> 他笑着回答 = 他 / 笑着 / 回答
>
> 他哭着跑开 = 他 / 哭着 / 跑开

着 here terminate the whole adverbial clauses.

> 你哭着 *you crying* + 你对我说 *you say to me* = 你哭着对我说 *you say to me in tears*

One can easily separate out 哭着 because it's a whole.

---

Back to your original question, 着 has to be at the end of the clause, and hence 在沙发上坐着 (not *坐着在沙发上*). It will be understood as

> 他 / 在沙发上坐着 / 看报纸。

However, the sentence is also grammatically correct if you add a comma after 着. It will sound like there are two predicates rather than one (modified by an adverbial clause).

> 他坐着，在沙发上看报纸。
>
> He is sitting, **and** reading newspapers on the sofa.

In general, anything that belongs to an adverbial clause should go before 着.

---

One exception though is when the verb is transitive.

> 孩子 / 抱着妈妈 / 哭了起来。 *Hugging his mother, the child started to cry.*

In this case, the object can be put after 着.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-06-02. Score: 1

着= "ing"

他坐着在沙发上看报纸 Have two verb. S + V(ing)(sitting) + V(ing)(reading) + O(newspaper)+adj( on the sofa )

There is two verb but only one S without conjunction.

You could said: 他在沙发上坐着"且"在看着报纸。

He is sitting on the sofa and reading the newspaper.

S + V + O + conjunction + V2 + O2

(1) 他坐在沙发上看报纸. S + adj(坐在沙發上 sitting on the sofa) + V (reading)+ O (newspaper)

(2) 他坐在沙发上看着报纸. S + adj(坐在沙發上 sitting on the sofa) + V(ing) (reading)+ O (newspaper)

(3) 他在沙发上坐着看报纸. S + adj(在沙發上坐着 sitting on the sofa) + V (reading)+ O (newspaper)

PS: 在沙发上坐着 = 坐在沙发上 = sitting on the sofa

It's hard to explain, hope I express clearly enough.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Careful - we don't use 著 for 着 outside of Taiwan. 著 usually means 著名.  
> **username_0**: I do not clearly understand :(  

---

