wǒmen yòng guo de sùliào dàizi yīnggāi fàng dào huíshōu de lājītǒng lǐ.

we

Breakdown of wǒmen yòng guo de sùliào dàizi yīnggāi fàng dào huíshōu de lājītǒng lǐ.

• 放fàng: to put
• 过guo: experiential aspect particle
• 应该yīnggāi: should

Questions & Answers about wǒmen yòng guo de sùliào dàizi yīnggāi fàng dào huíshōu de lājītǒng lǐ.

Why is 过 used after 用 in 用过的塑料袋子?

过 is an aspect particle that marks a completed experience.

In 用过的塑料袋子, 用过 means “have used”, so the whole phrase means “the plastic bags that we have used (before)”.

If you just said 我们用的塑料袋子, it would still be understandable, but it sounds less specific about the bags being already used in the past. 用过的 emphasizes that the using is a past, completed experience relevant to now (they are used bags, not new ones).

What is the function of 的 in 用过的塑料袋子?

Here 的 links a verb phrase to a noun, turning the verb phrase into an adjective‑like modifier:

• 我们用过的 → “that we have used” (relative clause)
• 塑料袋子 → “plastic bags”

So 我们用过的塑料袋子 literally is “the plastic bags [that we have used]”.

Structure:

• [Subject + Verb (+ Aspect)] + 的 + Noun
• 我们用过的 + 塑料袋子
  This is the normal way in Chinese to say “the N that S V-ed”.

Why does the whole modifier 我们用过的 come before 塑料袋子, instead of after it like in English?