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
- 在陈绝粮(在陳絕糧) to run out of provisions on a trip in the state of Chen
- 命在旦夕 to be at death's door
- 在职训练(在職訓練) on-the-job training
- 在职(在職) to be employed; to be in post; on-the-job
- 一日之计在于晨(一日之計在於晨) make your day's plan early in the morning; early morning is the golden time of the day
- 有约在先(有約在先) to have a prior engagement
- 在水中沚 on an islet in the stream
- 在家人 a layperson; someone other than a monastic
- 在在 everywhere
- 抗言谈在昔(抗言談在昔) with brave words discuss the things of old
- 其见在者(其見在者) those remaining
- 找不自在 to ask for trouble; to bring misfortune on oneself
- 旨在 for with the purpose of
- 在此后(在此後) after this; from then on
- 在生 while alive; during one's lifetime
- 所在 place; location
- 天监在下(天監在下) Heaven looked down from above
- 互相勾结在一起(互相勾結在一起) collude together
- 在天之灵(在天之靈) soul and spirit of the deceased
- 在教 to be a believer (in a religion, especially Islam)
- 在真空中 in a vacuum
- 蒙在鼓里(蒙在鼓裡) kept inside a drum; completely in the dark
- 人在江湖,身不由己 you can't always do as you like; one has to compromise in this world
- 成事在天 success depends on the will of Heaven
- 一个幽灵在欧洲游荡(一個幽靈在歐洲遊蕩) Ein Gespenst geht um in Europa.
- 在室内(在室內) indoors
- 箭在弦上 an arrow on the bowstring; everything ready
- 胜利在望(勝利在望) victory is in sight
- 意存笔先,画尽意在(意存筆先,畫盡意在) the idea is present before the first stroke of the brush, when the last stroke is placed the idea shines through
- 在下 under ; myself (humble)
- 挂在嘴上(掛在嘴上) to pay lip service to; to keep mentioning (without doing anything); to blather on about sth
- 在身 to possess; to be occupied or burdened with (work, a contract, a lawsuit)
- 早在 as early as
- 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
- 振鹭在庭(振鷺在庭) a flock of egrets in the court; many noble people
- 在来米(在來米) long-grained non-glutinous rice
- 揣在怀里(揣在懷裡) to tuck into one's bosom
- 正在要问(正在要問) just about to ask a question
- 历历在目(歷歷在目) vivid in one's mind
- 潜在危险度(潛在危險度) latent hazard
- 丑话说在前头(醜話說在前頭) let's talk about the unpleasant things first; let's be frank
- 在世 to live in the world
- 智珠在握 to hold the pearl of wisdom; to be endowed with extraordinary intelligence
- 在我看来(在我看來) in my opinion
- 毛出在羊身上 wool comes from the sheep's back; One gets the benefit, but the price has been paid.
- 实实在在(實實在在) real; not exaggerated
- 在华(在華) to be within China
- 内在几何学(內在幾何學) intrinsic geometry
- 安闲自在(安閑自在) leisurely and free; carefree and at ease
- 在深处(在深處) deeply
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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 在薮 (在藪) 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