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- <title>Expressing actions in progress with "zai"</title>
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- <h1>Expressing actions in progress with "<span class="pinyinst">zài</span>" "<span class="hanzist">在</span>"</h1>
- <p>在 (<span class="pinyin">zài</span>) and <span class="hanzi">正在</span> (<span class="pinyin">zhèngzài</span>) 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 <b>now</b>.</p>
- <p>You can use <span class="hanzi">正在</span> (<span class="pinyin">zhèngzài</span>) instead of just <span class="hanzi">在</span> (<span class="pinyin">zài</span>) to put a little more emphasis on an action that is in progress right now.</p>
- <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2>
- <div class="deux">
- <p>Subj. + <span class="hanzist">在</span> + Verb + Obj.</p>
- </div>
- <p>or</p>
- <div class="deux">
- <p>Subj. + <span class="hanzist">正在</span> + Verb + Obj.</p>
- </div>
- <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>
- <div class="exemple">
- <ul>
- <li><span class="hanzi">她 <span class="fondjaune">在</span> 看 书。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Tā <span class="fondjaune">zài</span> kànshū.</span><br/> She is reading.</li>
- <li><span class="hanzi">妈妈 <span class="fondjaune">在</span> 打 电话。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Māma <span class="fondjaune">zài</span> dǎ diànhuà.</span> <br/>Mom is making a phone call.</li>
- <li><span class="hanzi">谁 <span class="fondjaune">在</span> 里面 洗澡？</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Shéi <span class="fondjaune">zài</span> lǐmiàn xǐzǎo?</span> <br/>Who is taking a shower in there?</li>
- <li><span class="hanzi">阿姨 <span class="fondjaune">正在</span> 打扫 我们 的 房间。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Āyí <span class="fondjaune">zhèngzài</span> dǎsǎo wǒmen de fángjiān.</span> <br/>The cleaning lady is cleaning our room right now.</li>
- <li><span class="hanzi">昨天 晚上 七点，我们 <span class="fondjaune">在</span> 吃饭。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Zuótiān wǎnshang qīdiǎn, wǒmen <span class="fondjaune">zài</span> chīfàn.</span> <br/>Yesterday at 7pm, we were eating dinner.</li>
- <li><span class="hanzi">老板 <span class="fondjaune">在</span> 开会，没有 时间 见 你。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn <span class="fondjaune">zài</span> kāihuì, méiyǒu shíjiān jiàn nǐ.</span> <br/>The boss is currently in a meeting. He doesn't have time to see you.</li>
- <li><span class="hanzi">我 现在 <span class="fondjaune">在</span> 上班，不方便 离开。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiànzài <span class="fondjaune">zài</span> shàngbān, bù fāngbiàn líkāi.</span><br/> I am working now. It's not convenient for me to leave.</li>
- <li><span class="hanzi">我们 <span class="fondjaune">正在</span> 上课，请 你 等 一会儿。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <span class="fondjaune">zhèngzài</span> shàngkè, qǐng nǐ děng yīhuìr.</span> <br/>We are in class right now; please wait a moment.</li>
- <li><span class="hanzi">你 <span class="fondjaune">正在</span> 开车，不 可以 玩 手机。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Nǐ <span class="fondjaune">zhèngzài</span> kāichē, bù kěyǐ wán shǒujī.</span> <br/>You're driving right now; you can't play with your cell phone.</li>
- <li><span class="hanzi">你 给 我 打 电话 的时候，我 <span class="fondjaune">正在</span> 跟 朋友 打 游戏 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Nǐ gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà de shíhou, wǒ <span class="fondjaune">zhèngzài</span> gēn péngyou dǎ yóuxì.</span> <br/>When you called me, I was playing video games with friends.</li>
- </ul>
- </div>
- <p>There is no need to worry too much about when to use <span class="hanzi">在</span> (<span class="pinyin">zài</span>) or <span class="hanzi">正在</span> (<span class="pinyin">zhèngzài</span>), since they basically mean the same thing. <span class="hanzi">正在</span> (<span class="pinyin">zhèngzài</span>) usually shows that the action is in progress (right now). "<span class="hanzi">在</span> (<span class="pinyin">zài</span>) + Verb" is more commonly used than "<span class="hanzi">正在</span> (<span class="pinyin">zhèngzài</span>) + Verb," but both are fine to use.</p>
- <h2 id="see-also">See Also</h2>
- <ul>
- <li><a href="Aspect_particle_"zhe"" title="wikilink">Aspect particle "zhe"</a></li>
- <li><a href="Expressing_actions_in_progress_(full_form)" title="wikilink">Expressing actions in progress (full form)</a> (more advanced usage)</li>
- </ul>
- <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>
- <h3 id="books">Books</h3>
- <ul>
- <li>Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 41-2)</li>
- <li>Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 60-1)</li>
- <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 209-10)</li>
- <li>New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本2</span>) (pp. 218-9)</li>
- </ul>
- <p><a href="Category:A2_grammar_points" title="wikilink">Category:A2 grammar points</a></p>
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