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
- 鲜花插在牛粪上(鮮花插在牛糞上) a bunch of flowers poked into a pile of manure
- 存在论(存在論) ontology
- 在场(在場) to be present; to be on the scene
- 常在河边走,哪有不湿鞋(常在河邊走,哪有不濕鞋) a person who regularly walks by the river cannot avoid getting their shoes wet
- 内在几何(內在幾何) intrinsic geometry
- 潜在媒介(潛在媒介) potential vector
- 在地下 underground
- 在行 to be adept at something; to be an expert in a trade or profession
- 在一起 together
- 在地 local
- 左券在握 to be assured of success
- 在望 in view; at present; before your eyes
- 命在旦夕 to be at death's door
- 不在乎 not to care
- 在教 to be a believer (in a religion, especially Islam)
- 无所不在(無所不在) omnipresent
- 在途 in transit
- 芒刺在背 feeling brambles and thorns in one's back; uneasy and nervous; to be on pins and needles
- 志不在此 to have one's ambitions elsewhere
- 心不在焉 absent-minded; to be distracted
- 佛陀出生在人间(佛陀出生在人間) The Buddha was born in the human world
- 不要在一棵树上吊死(不要在一棵樹上吊死) don't insist on only taking one road to Rome; there's more than one way to skin a cat
- 在意 to care about; to mind; to take to heart
- 在身 to possess; to be occupied or burdened with (work, a contract, a lawsuit)
- 项庄舞剑,意在沛公(項莊舞劍,意在沛公) Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang
- 看在眼里(看在眼裡) to observe; to take it all in
- 挂在嘴边(掛在嘴邊) to keep saying over and over
- 在高处(在高處) aloft
- 吉凶焉在 Where will the auspicious and the unlucky events occur?
- 近在眼前 right under one's nose; right in front of one's eyes; close at hand; imminent
- 好在 luckily; fortunately ; admirable ; greetings ; just as good as before
- 蒙在鼓里(蒙在鼓裡) kept inside a drum; completely in the dark
- 历历在目(歷歷在目) vivid in one's mind
- 毛出在羊身上 wool comes from the sheep's back; One gets the benefit, but the price has been paid.
- 不自在 uneasiness; feel uncomfortable
- 安闲自在(安閑自在) leisurely and free; carefree and at ease
- 在家人 a layperson; someone other than a monastic
- 同在 to be with
- 危在旦夕 in danger from dawn to evening; imminent peril
- 潜在(潛在) hidden; secret; latent
- 不在 not here ; to be dead ; to not care about
- 聚在一起 to get together
- 在这期间(在這期間) during time; in this time
- 实在(實在) truly; really ; in reality ; honest; reliable ; steadfast
- 正在要问(正在要問) just about to ask a question
- 弘法在人间(弘法在人間) lectured in the world
- 所在地 location; site
- 在于(在於) in; consist of
Also contained in
穷在闹市无人问,富在深山有远亲 、 自在主 、 美国在线
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
- 卷十二 志第四 天文上 Volume 12 Treatises 4: Astronomy 1 Book of Southern Qi 南齊書 — 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: 6
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 宛在 (宛在) 宛在水中央 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 國風‧秦‧蒹葭 Lessons from the states - Odes of Qin - Jian Jia — 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