在 (zài) and 正在 (zhèngzài) can be used as [auxiliary
verbs](auxiliary_verb "wikilink") 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) instead of just 在 (zài) to put a little
more emphasis on an action that is *in progress **right now***.

Structure
---------

<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + 在 + Verb + Obj.

</div>
or

<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + 正在 + Verb + Obj.

</div>
Examples
--------

<div class="liju">
-   她 <em>在</em> 看 书。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>zài</em>
    kànshū.</span><span class="trans">She is reading.</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>
-   谁 <em>在</em> 里面 洗澡？<span class="pinyin">Shéi <em>zài</em>
    lǐmiàn xǐzǎo?</span><span class="trans">Who is taking a shower in
    there?</span>
-   阿姨 <em>正在</em> 打扫 我们 的 房间。<span class="pinyin">Āyí
    <em>zhèngzài</em> dǎsǎo wǒmen de
    fángjiān.</span><span class="trans">The cleaning lady is cleaning
    our room right now.</span>
-   昨天 晚上 七点，我们 <em>在</em> 吃饭。<span class="pinyin">Zuótiān
    wǎnshang qīdiǎn, wǒmen <em>zài</em>
    chīfàn.</span><span class="trans"> Yesterday at 7pm, we were eating
    dinner.</span>
-   老板 <em>在</em> 开会，没有 时间 见 你。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn
    <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, bù fāngbiàn
    líkāi.</span><span class="trans">I am working now. It's not
    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
    yīhuìr.</span><span class="trans">We are in class right now; please
    wait a moment.</span>
-   你 <em>正在</em> 开车，不 可以 玩 手机。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ
    <em>zhèngzài</em> kāichē, bù kěyǐ wán
    shǒujī.</span><span class="trans">You're driving right now; you
    can't play with your cell phone.</span>
-   你 给 我 打 电话 的时候，我 <em>正在</em> 跟 朋友 打 游戏
    。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà de shíhou, wǒ
    <em>zhèngzài</em> gēn péngyou dǎ
    yóuxì.</span><span class="trans">When you called me, I was playing
    video games with friends.</span>

</div>
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 (*right now*). "在 (zài) +
Verb" is more commonly used than "正在 (zhèngzài) + Verb," but both are
fine to use.

See Also
--------

-   [Aspect particle "zhe"](Aspect_particle_"zhe" "wikilink")
-   [Expressing actions in progress
    (full form)](Expressing_actions_in_progress_(full_form) "wikilink")
    (more advanced usage)

Sources and further reading
---------------------------

### Books

-   [Basic Patterns of Chinese
    Grammar](Basic_Patterns_of_Chinese_Grammar "wikilink") (pp. 41-2)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1933330899)
-   [Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second
    Edition](Chinese:_An_Essential_Grammar,_Second_Edition "wikilink") (pp.
    60-1)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615)
-   [Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1
    (3rd ed)](Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1_(3rd_ed) "wikilink") (pp.
    209-10)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385)
-   [New Practical Chinese Reader
    2 (新实用汉语课本2)](New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_2_(新实用汉语课本2) "wikilink") (pp.
    218-9)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561911297/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561911297)

[Category:A2 grammar points](Category:A2_grammar_points "wikilink")