Difference between revisions of "Expressing actions in progress (full form)"
 
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You may have learned that [[Expressing actions in progress|在 (zài)]] and [[Expressing actions in progress|正在 (zhèngzài)]] can be used as an [[auxiliary verb]] to express that an action is ''ongoing'' or ''in progress''. They are used to create the Mandarin equivalent of ''present continuous'' in English.  But that pattern is actually a part of a longer, fuller pattern.  It's rarely used in its full form, but bits and pieces of it are frequently used in everyday speech, so it's important to know the full form, even if you don't use it regularly yourself.
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{{Grammar Box}}
  
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== The structure ==
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You may have learned that [[Expressing actions in progress|在 (zài)]] and [[Expressing actions in progress|正在 (zhèngzài)]] can be used before [[verbs]] to express that an action is ''ongoing'' or ''in progress''. They are used to create the Mandarin equivalent of ''present continuous'' in English. But that pattern is actually a part of a longer, fuller pattern.  It's rarely used in its full form, but bits and pieces of it are frequently used in everyday speech, so it's important to know the full form, even if you don't use it regularly yourself.
  
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The structure is:
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== Structure ==
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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Subj. + 正在 / 正 / 在 + Verb + 呢
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</div>
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If it's a [[Separable verb]], you need to put the 着 between the verb and the object, or you can just leave 着 out.
  
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Subject + 正在 + Verb + 着 + Object + 呢
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<div class="jiegou">
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Subj. (+ 正) + Verb + 着 + Obj. + 呢
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</div>
  
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<div class="jiegou">
 +
Subj. + Verb + Obj. + 呢
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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It's important to remember that '''virtually every part of the above pattern is ''optional''''', so you're going to see all sorts of variations of it (and rarely the full form).  The most common variation is just the "[[Expressing actions in progress|在 + V]]" pattern that you probably learned already long ago.
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It's important to remember that '''virtually every part of the above pattern is ''optional''''', so you're going to see all sorts of variations of it (and rarely the full form).  The most common variation is just the "[[Expressing actions in progress|在 + V]]" pattern that you probably already learned long ago. Another common variation is "[[Expressing actions in progress|正 + V]]" pattern.
  
 
== Examples ==
 
== Examples ==
  
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Some examples using the verb phrase 看报纸:
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<div class="liju">
 +
 
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*我 <em>正在</em> 吃饭 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>zhèngzài</em> chīfàn.</span>
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*我 <em>正</em> 吃 <strong>着</strong> 饭 <strong>呢</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>zhèng</em> chī <strong>zhe</strong> fàn <strong>ne</strong>.</span>
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*我 吃 饭 <strong>呢</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ chīfàn <strong>ne</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I'm eating now.</span>
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 +
</div>
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
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* 她 <em>在</em> 看 报纸。
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*爷爷 <em>正在</em> 看 报纸 ，别 打扰 他 。<span class="pinyin">Yéye <em>zhèngzài</em> kàn bàozhǐ, bié dǎrǎo tā.</span>
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* 她 <em>正在</em> 看 报纸。
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*爷爷 <em>在</em> 看 报纸 <strong>呢</strong> ，别 打扰 他 。<span class="pinyin">Yéye <em>zài</em> kàn bàozhǐ <strong>ne</strong>, bié dǎrǎo tā.</span>
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* 她 <em>正</em> 看 <em>着</em> 报纸 <em>呢</em>。
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*爷爷 看 报纸 <strong>呢</strong> ，别 打扰 他 。<span class="pinyin">Yéye kàn bàozhǐ <strong>ne</strong>, bié dǎrǎo tā.</span><span class="trans">Grandpa is reading newspapers now. Don't disturb him.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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Some examples using the verb phrase 喝啤酒:
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
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* 我 <em>在</em> 喝 啤酒。
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*他 <em>在</em> 上厕所 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>zài</em> shàng cèsuǒ.</span>
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* 我 <em>正</em> 喝 啤酒 <em>呢</em>。
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*他 <em>正</em> 上 厕所<strong>呢</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>zhèng</em> shàng cèsuǒ <strong>ne</strong>.</span>
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* 我 <em>在</em> 喝 <em>着</em> 啤酒。
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*他 上 厕所 <strong>呢</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā shàng cèsuǒ <strong>ne</strong>.</span><span class="trans">He's using the bathroom now.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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Some examples using the verb phrase 学习中文:
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
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* 我们 <em>正在</em> 学习 中文。
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*我们 <em>在</em> 上 汉语 课 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>zài</em> shàng Hànyǔ kè.</span>
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* 我们 学习 中文 <em>呢</em>。
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*我们 <em>正</em> 上 汉语 课 <strong>呢</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>zhèng</em> shàng Hànyǔ kè <strong>ne</strong>.</span>
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* 我们 学习 <em>着</em> 中文。
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*我们 上 <strong>着</strong> 汉语 课 <strong>呢</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen shàng <strong>zhe</strong> Hànyǔ kè <strong>ne</strong>.</span><span class="trans">We're having a Chinese lesson now.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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Some examples using the [[separable verbs|separable verb]] 跳舞:
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
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* 他们 <em>正在</em> 跳舞。
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*老板 <em>在</em> 开会，不 方便 接 电话 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn <em>zài</em> kāihuì, bù fāngbiàn jiē diànhuà.</span>
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* 他们 跳 <em>着</em> 舞。
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*老板 <em>正</em> 开 <strong>着</strong> 会 ，不 方便 接 电话 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn <em>zhèng</em> kāi <strong>zhe</strong> huì, bù fāngbiàn jiē diànhuà.</span>
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* 他们 跳 <em>着</em> 舞 <em>呢</em>。
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*老板 开 <strong>着</strong> 会 <strong>呢</strong> ，不 方便 接 电话 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn kāi <strong>zhe</strong> huì <strong>ne</strong>, bù fāngbiàn jiē diànhuà.</span><span class="trans">The boss is in the middle of a meeting. It's not convenient for him to talk on the phone.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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==See also==
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== See also ==
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* [[Aspect particle "zhe"]]
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* [[Expressing actions in progress]]
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== Sources and further reading ==
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=== Books ===
  
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*[[Aspect particle "zhe"]]
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{{Source|Chinese Grammar Without Tears (简明汉语语法学习手册)|54-7}}
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*[[Expressing actions in progress]] (simpler form)
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{{Source|Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例)|321}}
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{{Source|Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar|217-26}}
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{{Source|Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide|216-8}}
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)|106-7}}
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{{Source|40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）|157}}
  
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=== Websites ===
  
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* ChinesePod: [http://chinesepod.com/lessons/the-%E7%9D%80-zhe-chronicles-actions-in-progress Qing Wen - The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: Actions in Progress] (free podcast content)
  
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[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
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[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK0}}
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{{Basic Grammar|正在|B1|正在 + Verb + 着 + 呢|我 <em>正在</em> 吃饭 <em>呢</em> 。|grammar point|ASGEYQ9O}}
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{{Rel char|正}}
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{{Rel char|在}}
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{{Rel char|着}}
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{{Rel char|呢}}
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{{Similar|Modal particle "ne"}}
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{{Similar|Aspect particle "zhe"}}
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{{Similar|Alternative existential sentences}}
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{{Similar|Using "zhe" when "verbing away"}}
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{{Similar|Expressing actions in progress}}
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{{Used for|Referring to the present }}
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{{POS|Verbs}}
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{{Subprop|Verb phrases}}

Latest revision as of 06:41, 23 May 2019

You may have learned that 在 (zài) and 正在 (zhèngzài) can be used before verbs to express that an action is ongoing or in progress. They are used to create the Mandarin equivalent of present continuous in English. But that pattern is actually a part of a longer, fuller pattern. It's rarely used in its full form, but bits and pieces of it are frequently used in everyday speech, so it's important to know the full form, even if you don't use it regularly yourself.

Structure

Subj. + 正在 / 正 / 在 + Verb + 呢

If it's a Separable verb, you need to put the 着 between the verb and the object, or you can just leave 着 out.

Subj. (+ 正) + Verb + 着 + Obj. + 呢

Subj. + Verb + Obj. + 呢

It's important to remember that virtually every part of the above pattern is optional, so you're going to see all sorts of variations of it (and rarely the full form). The most common variation is just the "在 + V" pattern that you probably already learned long ago. Another common variation is "正 + V" pattern.

Examples

  • 我 正在 吃饭 。Wǒ zhèngzài chīfàn.
  • 我 正 吃 着 饭 呢 。Wǒ zhèng chī zhe fàn ne.
  • 我 吃 饭 呢。Wǒ chīfàn ne.I'm eating now.
  • 爷爷 正在 看 报纸 ，别 打扰 他 。Yéye zhèngzài kàn bàozhǐ, bié dǎrǎo tā.
  • 爷爷 在 看 报纸 呢 ，别 打扰 他 。Yéye zài kàn bàozhǐ ne, bié dǎrǎo tā.
  • 爷爷 看 报纸 呢 ，别 打扰 他 。Yéye kàn bàozhǐ ne, bié dǎrǎo tā.Grandpa is reading newspapers now. Don't disturb him.
  • 他 在 上厕所 。Tā zài shàng cèsuǒ.
  • 他 正 上 厕所呢 。Tā zhèng shàng cèsuǒ ne.
  • 他 上 厕所 呢 。Tā shàng cèsuǒ ne.He's using the bathroom now.
  • 我们 在 上 汉语 课 。Wǒmen zài shàng Hànyǔ kè.
  • 我们 正 上 汉语 课 呢 。Wǒmen zhèng shàng Hànyǔ kè ne.
  • 我们 上 着 汉语 课 呢 。Wǒmen shàng zhe Hànyǔ kè ne.We're having a Chinese lesson now.
  • 老板 在 开会，不 方便 接 电话 。Lǎobǎn zài kāihuì, bù fāngbiàn jiē diànhuà.
  • 老板 正 开 着 会 ，不 方便 接 电话 。Lǎobǎn zhèng kāi zhe huì, bù fāngbiàn jiē diànhuà.
  • 老板 开 着 会 呢 ，不 方便 接 电话 。Lǎobǎn kāi zhe huì ne, bù fāngbiàn jiē diànhuà.The boss is in the middle of a meeting. It's not convenient for him to talk on the phone.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites



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