The Phases, Tenses, and Aspects of Modern Chinese grounds its analysis in the inherent structures of the Chinese language, transcending the constraints of Indo‑European grammatical frameworks.

For the first time, this work systematically constructs a comprehensive Chinese temporal expression system comprising three integrated subsystems: aspect, tense, and phase. This book meticulously delineates the hierarchical relationships and functional boundaries between these subsystems, thereby correcting the long‑standing tendency in academia to conflate the concepts of ‘tense’ and ‘aspect.’ Furthermore, it pioneers a research pathway that integrates syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic perspectives, establishing a core analytical paradigm for the study of aspect and aktionsart in Chinese. The theoretical outcomes of this framework have become authoritative references in Chinese grammar instruction and in the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language, while also providing critical linguistic support for fields such as Chinese natural language processing. These contributions have profoundly shaped the trajectory of subsequent research on temporal systems in the Chinese language.

This book is essential reading for linguists and students of Chinese grammar and Chinese linguistics, and will be invaluable to Chinese language learners and teachers.

Gong Qianyan is a renowned Chinese linguist and research fellow at the Institute of Applied Linguistics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He has made significant contributions to modern Chinese grammar, the history of grammatical studies, and research on temporal systems.