Writing
正在 (zhèngzài) — how to say "currently" in Chinese
正在
Currently (indicates action is happening at the moment)
time adverb
How to use it
Goes after the subject, before the verb.
他正在看书。
tā zhèng zài kàn shū
He is reading a book right now.
Character composition
正
correct, exactly
在
at, in
Radicals / Keys
土
Earth
#32 · tǔ · 3 strokes
止
Stop
#77 · zhǐ · 4 strokes
Collocations
正在看书
zhèngzài kàn shū
is reading a book
正在下雨
zhèngzài xià yǔ
is raining
正在吃饭
zhèngzài chī fàn
is eating
Examples
他正在上课，别打电话。
He's in class now, don't call.
我正在吃饭
I'm eating now.
Mnemonic
[zhèngzài-] Jenny the Wizard 🧙♀️ is currently on a magical quest. She lands exactly on the 正 "Correct Path" while in 在 the Enchanted Forest. As she steps forward, 正在 lights up, showing that each of her actions is happening right now in the correct place!
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "currently" in Chinese?
"currently" in Chinese is 正在 (zhèngzài).
正在 meaning in English
正在 (zhèngzài) means "Currently (indicates action is happening at the moment)".
How is 正在 pronounced?
It is pronounced zhèngzài (written as zhengzai). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "currently" in Chinese characters?
It is written 正在: 正 has 5 strokes, 在 has 6 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 正在?
正在 belongs to the HSK 2 vocabulary list.
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