在
at; in; on; (progressive marker)
HSK level
- Pinyin
- zài
- Part of speech
- verb
- Level
- HSK 1
- Strokes
- 6
- Register
- neutral
Stroke order for 在
在 is written with 6 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
What does 在 mean?
在 (zài) is one of the most-used characters in Chinese, with three closely related jobs.
(1) As a verb it means 'to be at / to exist': 我在家 'I'm at home.' (2) As a preposition it marks location before a verb: 我在北京工作 'I work in Beijing.' (3) As a preverbal particle it marks the progressive aspect, similar to English '-ing': 我在吃饭 'I'm eating.' Two clarifications for learners: first, when 在 means location, the place follows 在 and precedes the main verb — Chinese says 'I AT home eat,' not 'I eat AT home.'
Second, 在 as a progressive marker is often paired with 正 (zhèng) or 呢 for emphasis: 正在吃 / 在吃饭呢. The character has the 土 (earth) component, hinting at 'being grounded somewhere.' 在 is also half of common words like 现在 'now,' 正在 'in the middle of,' and 在乎 'to care about.'
Example sentences
我在家。
Wǒ zài jiā.
I'm at home.
spoken
你在做什么？
Nǐ zài zuò shénme?
What are you doing?
spoken
他在北京工作。
Tā zài Běijīng gōngzuò.
He works in Beijing.
neutral
妈妈在厨房做饭。
Māma zài chúfáng zuò fàn.
Mom is cooking in the kitchen.
neutral
Common phrases with 在
Synonyms
Don't confuse 在 with
再 (same pinyin and tone) means 'again / once more.' 再见 'goodbye (see you again)' vs 在 'at / -ing.' Same sound, completely different jobs. Beginners mix them constantly — 在 has the 土 component, 再 does not.
存在 is a two-character verb meaning 'to exist' (more abstract — 问题存在 'the problem exists'). 在 alone is the everyday 'be at / exist somewhere.'
在于 means 'lies in / depends on,' literary and formal. Don't substitute it for plain 在.
FAQ
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