I can answer the phone with “hello”, say what I'm doing right now and with whom, and ask what the other person is doing.
Hello? What are you doing right now: 在 and 正在
Hello? What are you doing right now: 在 and 正在
What for: say what's happening right now, for example when someone calls you. Clues: 现在 (xiànzài), 正在 (zhèngzài), 呢 (ne) at the end.
Form: 在 + verb, “is doing now”; 正在 + verb, “is doing right at this moment”; you can add 呢 at the end. The verb doesn't change (see the table). English “am / is / are + -ing” is 在 + verb only for what's happening right now: a plan such as “I'm going to Xi'an tomorrow” or “They're coming by plane” takes no 在.
This doesn't work with 是 or with an adjective: 他很忙。(Tā hěn máng.) (He's busy: no 在.)
Question: 你在做什么呢？(Nǐ zài zuò shénme ne?) — the answer takes the place of 什么.
喂 is “hello” on the phone (the dictionary gives wèi; on the phone you usually hear wéi).
和 + who + verb, “with whom”: 爸爸在和孩子们玩。(Bàba zài hé háizimen wán.) (Dad is playing with the kids right now.) “With whom” goes before the verb, not at the end as in English. Between two nouns 和 is “and”: 爸爸和妈妈 (bàba hé māma).
听 (tīng) is to listen, 听见 (tīngjiàn) to hear; 说 (shuō) to say, 说话 (shuōhuà) to talk.
Common mistakes:
• ×我吃饭在 (Wǒ chī fàn zài.) → 我在吃饭。(Wǒ zài chī fàn.) (在 before the verb)
• ×他在很忙 (Tā zài hěn máng.) → 他很忙。(Tā hěn máng.) (no 在 with an adjective)
• ×我在说话和朋友 (Wǒ zài shuōhuà hé péngyou.) → 我在和朋友说话。(Wǒ zài hé péngyou shuōhuà.) (“with whom” before the verb)
• ×我是吃饭 (Wǒ shì chī fàn.) → 我在吃饭。(Wǒ zài chī fàn.) (“I am eating”: “am” is not 是)
在 / 正在 — doing right now
The verb doesn't change; you can add 呢 at the end or leave it out.
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| 在 + verb | 哥哥在看书。(Gēge zài kàn shū.) |
| 正在 + verb | 他们正在做饭。(Tāmen zhèngzài zuò fàn.) |
| 在 + verb + 呢 | 姐姐在喝茶呢。(Jiějie zài hē chá ne.) |
Lesson notes
Hello? What are you doing right now: 在 and 正在
What for: say what's happening right now, for example when someone calls you. Clues: 现在 (xiànzài), 正在 (zhèngzài), 呢 (ne) at the end.
Form: 在 + verb, “is doing now”; 正在 + verb, “is doing right at this moment”; you can add 呢 at the end. The verb doesn't change (see the table). English “am / is / are + -ing” is 在 + verb only for what's happening right now: a plan such as “I'm going to Xi'an tomorrow” or “They're coming by plane” takes no 在.
This doesn't work with 是 or with an adjective: 他很忙。(Tā hěn máng.) (He's busy: no 在.)
Question: 你在做什么呢？(Nǐ zài zuò shénme ne?) — the answer takes the place of 什么.
喂 is “hello” on the phone (the dictionary gives wèi; on the phone you usually hear wéi).
和 + who + verb, “with whom”: 爸爸在和孩子们玩。(Bàba zài hé háizimen wán.) (Dad is playing with the kids right now.) “With whom” goes before the verb, not at the end as in English. Between two nouns 和 is “and”: 爸爸和妈妈 (bàba hé māma).
听 (tīng) is to listen, 听见 (tīngjiàn) to hear; 说 (shuō) to say, 说话 (shuōhuà) to talk.
Common mistakes:
• ×我吃饭在 (Wǒ chī fàn zài.) → 我在吃饭。(Wǒ zài chī fàn.) (在 before the verb)
• ×他在很忙 (Tā zài hěn máng.) → 他很忙。(Tā hěn máng.) (no 在 with an adjective)
• ×我在说话和朋友 (Wǒ zài shuōhuà hé péngyou.) → 我在和朋友说话。(Wǒ zài hé péngyou shuōhuà.) (“with whom” before the verb)
• ×我是吃饭 (Wǒ shì chī fàn.) → 我在吃饭。(Wǒ zài chī fàn.) (“I am eating”: “am” is not 是)