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Verb + 着 (zháo) (managed to / succeeded)
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Finally asleep
- You tossed and turned for hours before you managed to sleep.
- I我两点only then / not until才to fall asleep睡着。 — "I didn't get to sleep until two."
Verb + (ongoing -ing)着 (zháo) = succeed in
- (ongoing -ing)着 zháo after a verb marks success in reaching the goal: to fall asleep睡着 (fall asleep), look for找(ongoing -ing)着 (find), to buy买(ongoing -ing)着 (manage to buy).
- It is read zháo, not zhe.
the keys钥匙found找着了吗？
Build: “Did you find the keys?”
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Verb + 着 (zháo) + 了.
Potential and negative forms
- can't sleep睡不着 = can't get to sleep: I我too太nervous紧张(completed / change)了，can't sleep睡不着.
- not / haven't没look for找(ongoing -ing)着 = didn't manage to find: I我look for找(completed / change)了half of the day半天also也not / haven't没look for找(ongoing -ing)着.
I我too太nervous紧张了，can't sleep睡不着。
Complete: “I'm too nervous; I can't get to sleep.” 我太紧张了，睡不____。
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睡不着 = can't fall asleep.
zháo versus zhe
- to fall asleep睡着 (shuì zháo) = fall asleep (the goal reached); to fall asleep睡着 (shuì zhe) = in a sleeping state — context and reading tell them apart.
- For finding, to find找到 is the standard, more general form; look for找(ongoing -ing)着 is colloquial, mainly northern.
How is 着 read in 我两点才睡着?
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Success in reaching the goal = zháo.
(ongoing -ing)着 (zháo) versus (found)到
- Both mark success: look for找(ongoing -ing)着 = to find找到, to buy买(ongoing -ing)着 = to buy买(found)到.
- to fall asleep睡着 has no (found)到 version: to sleep睡(found)到 means "sleep until": to sleep睡(found)到十点.
I我look for找(found)到了。
睡到十点 means “fell asleep at ten”.
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False. 到 after a verb shows the end point in time: 睡到十点 means “slept until ten”. “Fell asleep at ten” is 十点睡着了.
Recap
- Verb + (ongoing -ing)着 (zháo) = succeed in (to fall asleep睡着, look for找(ongoing -ing)着); negatives can't sleep睡不着 / not / haven't没look for找(ongoing -ing)着.
- Read zháo; often interchangeable with (found)到, except to fall asleep睡着.
Read the full reference: HSK 5 grammar — Complements.
You tossed and turned for hours before you managed to sleep. 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.