Difference between revisions of "Expressing actions in progress with "zai""

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* 她 <em>在</em> 看 书。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>zài </em> kànshū.</span><span class="trans">She is reading.</span>
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* 她 <em>在</em> 看 书。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>zài</em> kànshū.</span><span class="trans">She is reading.</span>
* 我们 <em>正在</em> 吃 饭。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>zhèngzài </em> chīfàn.</span><span class="trans">We're eating right now.</span>
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* 我们 <em>正在</em> 吃 饭。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>zhèngzài</em> chīfàn.</span><span class="trans">We're eating right now.</span>
* 我 <em>在</em> 喝 啤酒。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>zài </em> hē píjiǔ.</span><span class="trans">I'm drinking beer.</span>
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* 我 <em>在</em> 喝 啤酒。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>zài</em> hē píjiǔ.</span><span class="trans">I'm drinking beer.</span>
* 他 现在 <em>在</em> 开会,没 有 时间 见 你。<span class="pinyin">Tā xiànzài <em>zài </em> kāihuì, méiyǒu shíjiān jiàn nǐ.</span><span class="trans">He is currently in a meeting, he doesn't have time to see you.</span>
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* 他 现在 <em>在</em> 开会,没 有 时间 见 你。<span class="pinyin">Tā xiànzài <em>zài</em> kāihuì, méiyǒu shíjiān jiàn nǐ.</span><span class="trans">He is currently in a meeting, he doesn't have time to see you.</span>
* 我 <em>在</em> 上网。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>zài </em> shàngwǎng.</span><span class="trans">I am surfing the internet.</span>
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* 我 <em>在</em> 上网。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>zài</em> shàngwǎng.</span><span class="trans">I am surfing the internet.</span>
* 我 现在 <em>在</em> 上班。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiànzài <em>zài </em> shàngbān.</span><span class="trans">I am working now.</span>
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* 我 现在 <em>在</em> 上班。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiànzài <em>zài</em> shàngbān.</span><span class="trans">I am working now.</span>
* 我们 <em>正在</em> 上课,请 你 等 一会儿。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>zhèngzài </em> shàngkè, qǐng nǐ děng yīhuǐ'er.</span><span class="trans">We are in class right now; please wait a moment.</span>
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* 我们 <em>正在</em> 上课,请 你 等 一会儿。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>zhèngzài</em> shàngkè, qǐng nǐ děng yīhuǐ'er.</span><span class="trans">We are in class right now; please wait a moment.</span>
* 我 妈妈 <em>正在</em> 做 饭。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ māmā <em>zhèngzài </em> zuò fàn.</span><span class="trans">My mom is cooking right now.</span>
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* 我 妈妈 <em>正在</em> 做 饭。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ māmā <em>zhèngzài</em> zuò fàn.</span><span class="trans">My mom is cooking right now.</span>
* 十 点 的时候,她 <em>正在</em> 看 电影。<span class="pinyin">Shí diǎn de shíhòu, tā <em>zhèngzài </em> kàn diànyǐng.</span><span class="trans">At ten o'clock, she was watching a movie.</span>
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* 十 点 的时候,她 <em>正在</em> 看 电影。<span class="pinyin">Shí diǎn de shíhòu, tā <em>zhèngzài</em> kàn diànyǐng.</span><span class="trans">At ten o'clock, she was watching a movie.</span>
* 你 给 我 打 电话 的时候,我 <em>正在</em> 跟 朋友 喝酒。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà de shíhòu, wǒ <em>zhèngzài </em> gēn péngyǒu hējiǔ.</span><span class="trans">When you called me, I was drinking with friends.</span>
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* 你 给 我 打 电话 的时候,我 <em>正在</em> 跟 朋友 喝酒。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà de shíhòu, wǒ <em>zhèngzài</em> gēn péngyǒu hējiǔ.</span><span class="trans">When you called me, I was drinking with friends.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 09:59, 14 July 2015

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

  • 看 书。zài kànshū.She is reading.
  • 我们 正在 吃 饭。Wǒmen zhèngzài chīfàn.We're eating right now.
  • 喝 啤酒。zài hē píjiǔ.I'm drinking beer.
  • 他 现在 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.
  • 上网。zài shàngwǎng.I am surfing the internet.
  • 我 现在 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 shíhòu, 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 shíhòu, wǒ zhèngzài gēn péngyǒu 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

Sources and further reading

Books