<p>Chinese language doesn't have tense. To indicate event happened in the past, you need to add time reference in the context or verb particle that indicate past verb</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>我的朋友今年在美国(住过) = My friend (had lived) in America this year</p>

<p><em>过 is a verb particle that indicates 'experienced' aspect of the verb</em></p>

<p>~</p>

<p>我的朋友今年(曾住)在美国 = My friend (had lived) in America this year</p>

<p><em>曾 is an adverb that indicates 'once'; formerly</em></p>

<p>~</p>

<p>You can use either or both in the same sentence:</p>

<p>我的朋友今年(曾)在美国住(过) </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-29T03:18:25.477Z
Great answer! What about using 了 in the translations? My logic was that there is a change of state (was living -> not living anymore).
aymusbond
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-29T03:25:15.597Z
one of the function of 了 is as a verb particle that  indicates  the verb is 'completed' , it doesn't state it is in the past or future. another function of 了 is as a final particle that indicate the sentence had ended ; add emphasis to the sentence; soften tone of the speech
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-29T03:27:39.530Z
我的朋友今年在美国(住了) 半年 = My friend (lived) in the US for half a year. You need time reference here
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-29T03:11:03.757Z
2020-04-29T03:11:03.757Z
Tang Ho
<p>The most common interpretation of your sentence,
”我的朋友今年住在美国。”, is “my friend is living in America this year.” That is the literal meaning of the sentence, before any other particles are added.</p>
<p>To express your first translation, you would add 仍然, which is “still”.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我的朋友今年仍然住在美国。</p>
<p>My friend still lives in America this year.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To express the second translation, you could technically use 曾经, but it would sound like your friend lived in America a <strong>very long time ago</strong>. I suggest you remove the 今年, since you only want to emphasise that your action occurred a short time ago.</p>
<p>A natural-sounding sentence would be something like this:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我的朋友前一阵子还住在美国，（但过不久他就搬到香港去了。)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You use 还 to describe the situation when your friend was still living in America. You could mention the specific place your friend has moved to, as I have written in the brackets, or you could simply state “但他现在搬到别的地方去了。” (He’s moved to somewhere else.)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-29T06:33:10.203Z
2020-04-29T06:33:10.203Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Axel Tong
<p>My friend is living in America this year:
我朋友今年住美国 You can omit 的 and 在 to sound less wordy, might not be 100% grammatically correct though.  I believe most native speakers will tend to drop these words when context is obvious and in casual conversation.</p>
<p>My friend lived in America this year:
我朋友今年有住过美国 Adding the 有 here simply conveys &quot;had once&quot; or &quot;had&quot;.
This would translate more to: &quot;My friend had lived in America this year&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-13T03:59:27.973Z
2021-08-13T03:59:27.973Z
noobular
<blockquote>
  <p>can it be done without having to share any additional information like
  he is "currently living in Hong Kong"?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>You can provide information that show the time is now and negate the situation. In your example, 我的朋友今年住在美國，但現在已經不住美國了。 I use 現在 to show that the time is present 已經不住美國了 to negate 住在美國(living in United State of America). So you don't have to provide more information.</p>

<p>And If the listener want to know whether he still lived in United State of America. He may ask 那他現在還住在美國嗎? So that he can get the answer if people reply him.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>I was wondering whether we will add 了 in the second sentence as there
  is a change of state (was living -> not living now).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Yes I use 但現在已經不住美國了。 There is 了 in the sentence which is used to describe change of state.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-29T05:08:06.417Z
2020-04-29T05:15:41.587Z
2020-04-29T05:15:41.587Z
000
<p>My friend is living in America this year.<br>
我朋友今年住在美国。</p>

<p>My friend lived in America for a while this year.<br>
我朋友今年在美国住了一段时间。</p>

<p>Does 'for a while' count as extra info??</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-29T08:51:31.860Z
Wow. Your answer is crisp and precise. That's all what I was looking for.
aymusbond
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-29T07:39:45.853Z
2020-04-29T07:39:45.853Z
Pedroski
<p>Here I am trying to translate two different English sentences to Chinese. </p>

<ol>
<li><p><strong>"My friend is living in America this year."</strong> </p>

<p>He is <em>still living</em> in America at the point of stating this fact.</p>

<p>Translation : <em>我的朋友今年住在美国</em></p></li>
<li><p><strong>"My friend lived in America this year."</strong> </p>

<p>Maybe he lived <em>only for an earlier part of the year</em> in America and right now he is living in Hong Kong.</p>

<p>Translation : <em>我的朋友今年住在美国</em></p></li>
</ol>

<p>I have understood so far that Chinese is a contextual language. Since both the sentences have the same translation (At least at my level of learning :), could you please show me how to put these sentences in Chinese such that their context is clear. </p>

<p>Also, can it be done <strong>without</strong> having to share any additional information like he is "currently living in Hong Kong"?</p>

<p>Of course, please correct me if my above translations are incorrect. I was wondering whether we will <strong>add 了</strong> in the second sentence as <em>there is a change of state</em> (was living -> not living now).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-13T04:32:09.883Z
I think there is something wrong with the English sentences, but I'll leave it to the people who know the grammar better.
r13
<grammar><meaning-in-context><expressions><equivalent-phrase><past-tense>
Why is 我的朋友今年住在美国 translated to both "my friend [is living in / lived in] America this year"?
# Why is 我的朋友今年住在美国 translated to both "my friend [is living in / lived in] America this year"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-29)

Here I am trying to translate two different English sentences to Chinese.

1. **"My friend is living in America this year."**

   He is *still living* in America at the point of stating this fact.

   Translation : *我的朋友今年住在美国*
2. **"My friend lived in America this year."**

   Maybe he lived *only for an earlier part of the year* in America and right now he is living in Hong Kong.

   Translation : *我的朋友今年住在美国*

I have understood so far that Chinese is a contextual language. Since both the sentences have the same translation (At least at my level of learning :), could you please show me how to put these sentences in Chinese such that their context is clear.

Also, can it be done **without** having to share any additional information like he is "currently living in Hong Kong"?

Of course, please correct me if my above translations are incorrect. I was wondering whether we will **add 了** in the second sentence as *there is a change of state* (was living -> not living now).

**Tags:** grammar, meaning-in-context, expressions, equivalent-phrase, past-tense

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I think there is something wrong with the English sentences, but I'll leave it to the people who know the grammar better.  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2020-04-29. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

My friend is living in America this year.  
我朋友今年住在美国。

My friend lived in America for a while this year.  
我朋友今年在美国住了一段时间。

Does 'for a while' count as extra info??

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Wow. Your answer is crisp and precise. That's all what I was looking for.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-04-29. Score: 4

Chinese language doesn't have tense. To indicate event happened in the past, you need to add time reference in the context or verb particle that indicate past verb

Example:

我的朋友今年在美国(住过) = My friend (had lived) in America this year

*过 is a verb particle that indicates 'experienced' aspect of the verb*

~

我的朋友今年(曾住)在美国 = My friend (had lived) in America this year

*曾 is an adverb that indicates 'once'; formerly*

~

You can use either or both in the same sentence:

我的朋友今年(曾)在美国住(过)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Great answer! What about using 了 in the translations? My logic was that there is a change of state (was living -> not living anymore).  
> **username_2**: one of the function of 了 is as a verb particle that  indicates  the verb is 'completed' , it doesn't state it is in the past or future. another function of 了 is as a final particle that indicate the sentence had ended ; add emphasis to the sentence; soften tone of the speech  
> **username_2**: 我的朋友今年在美国(住了) 半年 = My friend (lived) in the US for half a year. You need time reference here  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2020-04-29. Score: 1

The most common interpretation of your sentence,
”我的朋友今年住在美国。”, is “my friend is living in America this year.” That is the literal meaning of the sentence, before any other particles are added.

To express your first translation, you would add 仍然, which is “still”.

> 我的朋友今年仍然住在美国。
>
> My friend still lives in America this year.

To express the second translation, you could technically use 曾经, but it would sound like your friend lived in America a **very long time ago**. I suggest you remove the 今年, since you only want to emphasise that your action occurred a short time ago.

A natural-sounding sentence would be something like this:

> 我的朋友前一阵子还住在美国，（但过不久他就搬到香港去了。)

You use 还 to describe the situation when your friend was still living in America. You could mention the specific place your friend has moved to, as I have written in the brackets, or you could simply state “但他现在搬到别的地方去了。” (He’s moved to somewhere else.)


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### Answer by username_4 on 2021-08-13. Score: 0

My friend is living in America this year:
我朋友今年住美国 You can omit 的 and 在 to sound less wordy, might not be 100% grammatically correct though. I believe most native speakers will tend to drop these words when context is obvious and in casual conversation.

My friend lived in America this year:
我朋友今年有住过美国 Adding the 有 here simply conveys "had once" or "had".
This would translate more to: "My friend had lived in America this year".


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### Answer by username_5 on 2020-04-29. Score: 0

> can it be done without having to share any additional information like
> he is "currently living in Hong Kong"?

You can provide information that show the time is now and negate the situation. In your example, 我的朋友今年住在美國，但現在已經不住美國了。 I use 現在 to show that the time is present 已經不住美國了 to negate 住在美國(living in United State of America). So you don't have to provide more information.

And If the listener want to know whether he still lived in United State of America. He may ask 那他現在還住在美國嗎? So that he can get the answer if people reply him.

> I was wondering whether we will add 了 in the second sentence as there
> is a change of state (was living -> not living now).

Yes I use 但現在已經不住美國了。 There is 了 in the sentence which is used to describe change of state.


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