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>
 
* 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>
+
* 妈妈 <em>在</em> 打 电话。<span class="pinyin">Māma <em>zài</em> dǎ diànhuà.</span><span class="trans">Mom is making a phone call.</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>
+
* 爸爸 <em>正在</em> 洗澡。<span class="pinyin">Bàba <em>zhèngzài</em> xǐzǎo.</span><span class="trans">Dad is taking a shower.</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>
+
* 老师 <em>在</em> 跟 你妈妈 说话。<span class="pinyin">Lǎoshī <em>zài</em> gēn nǐmāma shuōhuà.</span><span class="trans">The teacher is talking to your mother.</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>
+
* 昨天 晚上 七点，我们 <em>正在</em> 吃 饭。<span class="pinyin">Zuótiān wǎnshang qīdiǎn, wǒmen <em>zhèngzài</em> chīfàn.</span><span class="trans">We were eating at 7pm yesterday.</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>
+
* 老板 现在 <em>在</em> 开会，没 有 时间 见 你。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn xiànzài <em>zài</em> kāihuì, méiyǒu shíjiān jiàn nǐ.</span><span class="trans">The boss is currently in a meeting.He doesn't have time to see you.</span>
 +
* 我 现在 <em>在</em> 上班, 不方便 离开。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiànzài <em>zài</em> shàngbān.</span><span class="trans">I am working now.It's not very convenient for me to leave.</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>
 
* 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>
+
* 你 <em>正在</em> 开车，不 可以 玩 手机。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zhèngzài</em> kāichē, bùkěyǐ wán shǒujī.</span><span class="trans">At ten o'clock, she was watching a movie.</span>
−
* 十 点 的时候，她 <em>正在</em> 看 电影。<span class="pinyin">Shí diǎn de shíhou, 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 shíhou, wǒ <em>zhèngzài</em> gēn péngyou hējiǔ.</span><span class="trans">When you called me, I was drinking with friends.</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 shíhou, wǒ <em>zhèngzài</em> gēn péngyou hējiǔ.</span><span class="trans">When you called me, I was drinking with friends.</span>
  

Revision as of 06:01, 23 September 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

Subj. + 在 + Verb + Obj.

or

Subj. + 正在 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

  • 她 在 看 书。Tā zài kànshū.She is reading.
  • 妈妈 在 打 电话。Māma zài dǎ diànhuà.Mom is making a phone call.
  • 爸爸 正在 洗澡。Bàba zhèngzài xǐzǎo.Dad is taking a shower.
  • 老师 在 跟 你妈妈 说话。Lǎoshī zài gēn nǐmāma shuōhuà.The teacher is talking to your mother.
  • 昨天 晚上 七点，我们 正在 吃 饭。Zuótiān wǎnshang qīdiǎn, wǒmen zhèngzài chīfàn.We were eating at 7pm yesterday.
  • 老板 现在 在 开会，没 有 时间 见 你。Lǎobǎn xiànzài zài kāihuì, méiyǒu shíjiān jiàn nǐ.The boss is currently in a meeting.He doesn't have time to see you.
  • 我 现在 在 上班, 不方便 离开。Wǒ xiànzài zài shàngbān.I am working now.It's not very convenient for me to leave.
  • 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.
  • 你 正在 开车，不 可以 玩 手机。Nǐ zhèngzài kāichē, bùkěyǐ wán shǒujī.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

Sources and further reading

Books


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