在 zài
-
zài
verb
in; at
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
Notes: This sense of 在 indicates the location of the subject (NCCED '在' 2). For example, 祥子蹲在烤旁 'Xiangzi squatted besides the stove.'(Lao She, 2003, p. 216) In this example, the verb 蹲 'squat' precedes 在 but in some cases it may follow 在 after the location referred to. For example, 孩子...在院里玩耍... 'the child was in the courtyard playing.'(Lao She, 2003, p. 220) 在 is the seventh most frequently used word in the Beijing Language Institute's 1985 frequency wordlist (Ho 2002, '在'). -
zài
preposition
at
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
Notes: In this sense, 在 helps to indicate time, place, direction or scope (Li Shaoqi, 2003, pp. 404-407; NCCED '在' 6) 1. Time: 在 may be placed before a verb, adjective, or the subject to introduce time. For example, 世卫组织表示将在十一月发布建议 'The World Health Organization said that they would publish a recommendation in November.' 2. Place. For example, 火箭在距发射台约九公里处 'when the rocket was at a location approximately 90 kilometers from the launch pad.' (VOA, 2015-12-23) 3. Scope. For example, 总统在演讲中... 'while the president was giving a speech ...' (VOA, 2007-7-5) -
zài
adverb
when; indicates that someone or something is in the process of doing something
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
Notes: (Li Shaoqi, 2003, p. 224; NCCED '在' 5; Ho 2002, '在' 3) For example, 科学家们一直在探寻... 'Scientists have been continuously searching ...' (VOA, 2015-07-25) -
zài
verb
to exist; to be living
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
Notes: (NCCED '在' 5; Ho 2002, '在' 2) -
zài
verb
to consist of
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
Notes: (NCCED '在' 5) -
zài
verb
to be at a post
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
Notes: (NCCED '在' 5)
Contained in
- 在理 reasonable; sensible
- 在后(在後) behind
- 在所难免(在所難免) to be unavoidable
- 在职(在職) to be employed; to be in post; on-the-job
- 在陈绝粮(在陳絕糧) to run out of provisions on a trip in the state of Chen
- 在家人 a layperson; someone other than a monastic
- 存在论(存在論) ontology
- 所在地 location; site
- 成竹在胸 imagine a complete image of bamboo [before drawing it]
- 正在进行(正在進行) in process
- 在其中 therein; wherein
- 在此之前 before this; beforehand; previously
- 存在主义(存在主義) existentialism
- 一个幽灵在欧洲游荡(一個幽靈在歐洲遊蕩) Ein Gespenst geht um in Europa.
- 如鲠在喉(如鯁在喉) as if having a fish bone stuck in one's throat; very upset and needing to express one's displeasure
- 同在 to be with
- 看在 for the sake of ...; considering ...
- 好在 luckily; fortunately ; admirable ; greetings ; just as good as before
- 旨在 for with the purpose of
- 不在状态(不在狀態) to be out of form; not to be oneself
- 在握 to hold in one's hands; to be within grasp
- 妙在不言中 the charm lies in what is left unsaid
- 在地下 underground
- 不自在 uneasiness; feel uncomfortable
- 内在几何学(內在幾何學) intrinsic geometry
- 闲在(閑在) at leisure
- 振鹭在庭(振鷺在庭) a flock of egrets in the court; many noble people
- 现在(現在) at present; in the process of
- 包子有肉不在褶上 a book is not judged by its cover
- 无所不在(無所不在) omnipresent
- 在下 under ; myself (humble)
- 并不在乎(並不在乎) really does not care
- 命在旦夕 to be at death's door
- 你在添上几个(你在添上幾個) add on a few more
- 醉翁之意不在酒 wine-lover's heart is not in the cup; a drinker not really interested in alcohol; having an ulterior motive; to have other things in mind; with an ax to grind
- 修行在人间(修行在人間) practiced the cultivation in the human world
- 安在 safe and sound ; where
- 在水中沚 on an islet in the stream
- 丑话说在前头(醜話說在前頭) let's talk about the unpleasant things first; let's be frank
- 在此之际(在此之際) meanwhile; at the same time
- 高高在上 set up on high; not in touch with reality; aloof and remote
- 在家千日好,出门一时难(在家千日好,出門一時難) at home, one can spend a thousand days in comfort, but spending a day away from home can be challenging
- 独在异乡为异客(獨在異鄉為異客) a stranger in a strange land
- 到现在(到現在) up until now; to date
- 何在 where?
- 看在眼里(看在眼裡) to observe; to take it all in
- 在位时代(在位時代) reign (of a king, emperor etc)
- 内在超越(內在超越) inner transcendence (perfection through one's own inner moral cultivation, as in Confucianism, for example)
- 把心放在肚子里(把心放在肚子裡) to be completely at ease
Also contained in
Word is mentioned most frequently in
Truncated for common words
- 卷五十 志第三 天文三 Volume 50 Treatises 3: Astronomy 3 History of Song 宋史 — count: 171
- 卷二十七上 志第十七上 曆三上 Volume 27a Treatises 18: Calendar 3a New Book of Tang 新唐書 — count: 158
- 卷五十一 志第四 天文四 Volume 51 Treatises 4: Astronomy 4 History of Song 宋史 — count: 153
- 卷三十八 志第十八: 地理一 Volume 38 Treatises 18: Geography 1 Old Book of Tang 舊唐書 — count: 149
- 卷十一 志第一 天文上 Volume 11 Treatises 1: Astronomy Part One Book of Jin 晉書 — count: 141
- 卷五十三 志第五: 曆二 Volume 53 Treatises 6: Calendar 2 History of Yuan 元史 — count: 131
- 卷十二 志第四 天文上 Volume 12 Treatises 4: Astronomy 1 Book of Southern Qi 南齊書 — count: 130
- 卷91 術藝:晁崇 張淵 殷紹 王早 耿玄 劉靈助 江式等 Volume 91: The Arts - Chao Chong, Zhang Yuan, Yin Shao, Wang Zao, Geng Xuan, Liu Lingzhu, Jiang Shi, and others Book of Wei 魏書 — count: 130
- 卷105之二 天象志一之二 Volume 105b Treatise 1: Celestial Phenomena 2 Book of Wei 魏書 — count: 129
- 卷一上 光武帝紀 Volume 1a: Annals of Emperor Guangwu Book of Later Han 後漢書 — count: 126
Collocations
- 在梁 (在梁) 敝笱在梁 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 國風‧齊‧敝笱 Lessons from the states - Odes of Qi - Bi Gou — count: 8
- 在水 (在水) 在水一方 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 國風‧秦‧蒹葭 Lessons from the states - Odes of Qin - Jian Jia — count: 5
- 在桑 (在桑) 鳲鳩在桑 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 國風‧曹‧鳲鳩 Lessons from the states - Odes of Cao - Shi Jiu — count: 5
- 鸠在 (鳩在) 鳲鳩在桑 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 國風‧曹‧鳲鳩 Lessons from the states - Odes of Cao - Shi Jiu — count: 4
- 三星在 (三星在) 三星在天 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 國風‧唐‧綢繆 Lessons from the states - Odes of Tang - Chou Mo — count: 4
- 在河 (在河) 在河之洲 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 國風‧周南‧關雎 Lessons from the states - Odes Of Zhou And The South - Guan Ju — count: 4
- 在堂 (在堂) 蟋蟀在堂 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 國風‧唐‧蟋蟀 Lessons from the states - Odes of Tang - Xi Shuai — count: 4
- 在浚 (在浚) 在浚 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 國風‧邶风‧凱風 Lessons from the states - Odes of Bei - Kai Feng — count: 4
- 叔在 (叔在) 叔在藪 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 國風‧鄭‧大叔于田 Lessons from the states - Odes of Zheng - Da Shu Yu Tian — count: 3
- 子在 (子在) 其子在梅 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 國風‧曹‧鳲鳩 Lessons from the states - Odes of Cao - Shi Jiu — count: 3