Expressing actions in progress with "zai"

在 (zài) and 正在 (zhèngzài) can be used as auxiliary verbs to express that an action is ongoing or in progress. This is often the equivalent of present continuous in English, which is how we express that an activity is happening now. You can use 正在 (zhèngzài) to put a little more emphasis on the action as in progress right now.

Structure

Subject + 在 + Verb + Object

or

Subject + 正在 + Verb + Object

Examples

• 她 在 看 书。She is reading.
• 我们 正在 吃 饭。We're eating right now.
• 我 在 喝 啤酒。I'm drinking beer.
• 他 现在 在 开会，没 有 时间 见 你。He is currently in a meeting, he doesn't have time to see you.
• 我 在 上网。I am surfing the internet.
• 我 现在 在 上班。I am working now.
• 我们 正在 上课，请 你 等 一会儿。We are in class right now; please wait a moment.
• 我 妈妈 正在 做 饭。My mom is cooking right now.
• 十 点 的时候，她 正在 看 电影。At ten o'clock, she was watching a movie.
• 你 给 我 打 电话 的时候，我 正在 跟 朋友 喝酒。When you called me, I was drinking with friends.

There is no need to worry too much about when to use 在 (zài) or 正在 (zhèngzài), since they basically mean the same thing. 正在 (zhèngzài) usually shows that the action is in progress. "在 (zài) + Verb" is more commonly used than "正在 (zhèngzài) + Verb," but both are okay to use. As mentioned, the only small difference is that 正在 (zhèngzài) emphasizes that the action is happening right now.

See also

• Aspect particle "zhe"
• Expressing actions in progress (full form) (more advanced usage)

Sources and further reading

Books

• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 41-2) →buy
• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 60-1) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 209-10) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 218-9) →buy