Mandarin · Chapter 15 · Lesson 15 · Grammar primer
The durative aspect 着 (zhe)
着 marks a continuing state rather than a completed action: 门开着 (the door is open), 他穿着红衣服 (he is wearing red), 笑着说 (say with a smile). How 着 (state holding) differs from 在/正在 (action in progress), the V1着 V2 'while doing' pattern, existential 墙上挂着一幅画, and why negation uses 没 not 不.
The short version
着 (zhe) holds a state, 在 (zài) catches the action
他在穿衣服 (tā zài chuān yī fu) is the act of getting dressed; 他穿着衣服 (tā chuān zhe yī fu) is the state of being dressed. 着 (zhe) freeze-frames the result of a quick action and reports that it still holds. Negate it with 没 (méi) and the 着 (zhe) usually drops: 门没开 (mén méi kāi), never 门不开着 (mén bù kāi zhe).
门开着。 Mén kāi zhe.
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