now; at present
HSK level
现在 is written with 14 strokes (现: 8, 在: 6). The animation replays automatically.
现在 (xiànzài) is the Chinese word for 'now' or 'at present' — the time word for the current moment, today's situation, or the present era.
Grammatically it's a time noun, so it sits at the beginning of a clause or just after the subject: 现在几点 'what time is it now?' / 我现在很忙 'I'm busy now.' Two contrasts with English: first, Chinese verbs don't conjugate for tense, so 现在 (or another time word) is what tells the listener you're talking about the present — without it, the same sentence can mean past, present, or future depending on context.
Second, 现在 names the present moment ('now'); for the broader idea of 'these days / nowadays' Chinese often uses 现在 too, but 如今 (rújīn) or 目前 (mùqián) sound more written or formal. Literal meaning: 现 'appear / present' + 在 'exist / at.'
Character by character
Memory hook: 现 'present' + 在 'exist' — 'the present that exists' = now.
现在 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Browse the full episode library现在几点？
Xiànzài jǐ diǎn?
What time is it now?
spoken
我现在很忙。
Wǒ xiànzài hěn máng.
I'm busy right now.
neutral
现在我们去吃饭吧。
Xiànzài wǒmen qù chī fàn ba.
Let's go eat now.
spoken
现在的孩子都喜欢手机。
Xiànzài de háizi dōu xǐhuan shǒujī.
Kids these days all like phones.
spoken
目前 ('at the moment / currently') is more written and formal, common in news and reports. 现在 is the everyday spoken word.
如今 means 'nowadays / these days' — emphasizing change from the past. 现在 is just 'now,' neutral on whether things used to be different.
此刻 ('this moment') is literary and dramatic. 现在 is plain everyday speech.
Acquire it by listening
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