着【zhe】

着 after a verb says a state is holding. Often the action has already happened, and what the sentence reports is the situation it left behind.

着 or 在

zài在 is an action under way; 着 is a state that persists. The pair is easiest to see on the same verb.

Verbs of posture, position and holding – 坐, 站, 拿, 带, 开, 关, 穿 – take 着 naturally. Verbs of motion mostly don't.

Two actions at once

V着 on the first verb makes it the manner of the second. The main verb comes last.

Something present in a place

Place + verb + 着 + thing says what is in a place and how it is there. The place comes first and the thing last, the same order as 有.

Negation

没 goes before the verb, and 着 stays.

To tell someone not to stay in a state, use 别 + verb + 着.