Mandarin Chinese reference
闻
wén
to smell; to sniff
Verb pattern · 10 form tables
Mandarin verbs do not change for tense. These tables show aspect, negation, questions and sentence patterns. Short phrases omit the subject; full examples retain theirs.
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Aspect
Plain statement
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | wénsmell |
Completed action
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | wén lesmelled |
Experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | wén guohave smelled before |
In progress
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | zài wénbe smelling |
Future
About to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | yào wén lebe about to smell |
Will / can
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | huì wénwill smell |
Negative
Not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | bù wéndo not smell |
Did not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | méi wéndid not smell |
Questions
Yes no question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | wén ma?do you smell? |
A not A question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | wén bu wén?do you smell? |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Mandarin Chinese entries.