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 an action that is in progress right now.

Structure

Subject + 在 + Verb + Object

or

Subject + 正在 + Verb + Object

Examples

• 她 在 看 书。Tā zài kànshū.She is reading.
• 我们 正在 吃 饭。Wǒmen zhèngzài chīfàn.We're eating right now.
• 我 在 喝 啤酒。Wǒ zài hē píjiǔ.I'm drinking beer.
• 他 现在 在 开会，没 有 时间 见 你。Tā xiànzài zài kāihuì, méiyǒu shíjiān jiàn nǐ.He is currently in a meeting, he doesn't have time to see you.
• 我 在 上网。Wǒ zài shàngwǎng.I am surfing the internet.
• 我 现在 在 上班。Wǒ xiànzài zài shàngbān.I am working now.
• 我们 正在 上课，请 你 等 一会儿。Wǒmen zhèngzài shàngkè, qǐng nǐ děng yīhuǐ'er.We are in class right now; please wait a moment.
• 我 妈妈 正在 做 饭。Wǒ māmā zhèngzài zuò fàn.My mom is cooking right now.
• 十 点 的时候，她 正在 看 电影。Shí diǎn de shíhou, tā zhèngzài kàn diànyǐng.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。Nǐ gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà de shíhou, wǒ zhèngzài gēn péngyou hējiǔ.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