Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 正在
Basically, 正在 (zhèng zài) is used as an auxiliary verb to express what you are doing at this very moment, or where you are right now, or in general what is currently present.
It often equals the present continuous in English, which is how we express that an activity is happening now.
STRUCTURE WITH 正在
In daily conversations, we often use 正在 (zhèng zài) instead of just 在 (zài) to put a little more emphasis on an action that is in progress right now. The sentence structure should be:
PATTERN
Subject + 正在 + Verb + Object
SENTENCE EXAMPLES WITH 正在
Have a look at the following examples to better understand the use of 正在:
老板正在开会。
The boss is in a meeting.外面正在下雨。
It’s raining outside.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 电话铃响时，她正在洗澡。 | diàn huà líng xiǎng shí，tā zhèng zài xǐ zǎo | She was taking a shower when the phone rang. |
| 你正在开车，不可以发信息。 | nǐ zhèng zài kāi chē，bú kě yǐ fā xìn xī | You are driving and cannot text. |
| 不要打扰他，他正在上课。 | bú yào dǎ rǎo tā，tā zhèng zài shàng kè | Don’t disturb him, he is in class. |
| 我们正在谈论昨天发生的事情。 | wǒ men zhèng zài tán lùn zuó tiān fā shēng de shì qíng | We are talking about what happened yesterday. |
| 孩子们正在公园里踢足球。 | hái zǐ men zhèng zài gōng yuán lǐ tī zú qiú | Children are playing football in the park. |
| 警方正在现场调查。 | jǐng fāng zhèng zài xiàn chǎng diào chá | Police are investigating at the scene. |
| 我敲门的时候，他正在唱歌。 | wǒ qiāo mén de shí hòu，tā zhèng zài chàng gē | He was singing when I knocked on the door. |
NOTE // There is no need to worry too much about when to use 在 (zài) or 正在 (zhèng zài), since they basically mean the same thing.
正在 (zhèng zài) usually shows that the action is in progress (right now).
“在 (zài) + Verb” is more commonly used than “正在 (zhèng zài) + Verb,” but both are fine to use.
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FAQs
How is 正在 used in Chinese?
正在 (zhèng zài) is used as an auxiliary verb to express what you are doing at this very moment, or where you are right now, or in general what is currently present.
How is 正在 different from just 在?
Generally, we use 正在 (zhèng zài) instead of just 在 (zài) to put a little more emphasis on an action that is in progress right now.
What is the sentence structure of 正在?
The most common sentence structure of 正在 is:
Subj. + 正在 + Verb + Obj.
What are some example sentences of 正在?
– 老板正在开会。lǎo bǎn zhèng zài kāi huì. The boss is in a meeting.
– 电话铃响时，她正在洗澡。diàn huà líng xiǎng shí，tā zhèng zài xǐ zǎo. She was taking a shower when the phone rang.
– 你正在开车，不可以发信息。nǐ zhèng zài kāi chē，bú kě yǐ fā xìn xī. You are driving and cannot text.
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