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
- 胜利在望(勝利在望) victory is in sight
- 势在必行(勢在必行) circumstances that require action
- 老神在在 calm; unperturbed; (Taiwanese, Tai-lo pr. )
- 在我看 in my opinion; in my view
- 正在要问(正在要問) just about to ask a question
- 挂在嘴上(掛在嘴上) to pay lip service to; to keep mentioning (without doing anything); to blather on about sth
- 今日长缨在手(今日長纓在手) with the long cord in hand today
- 处在(處在) to be situated at; to find oneself at
- 好戏还在后头(好戲還在後頭) the best part of the show is yet to come; (with ironic tone) the worst is yet to come
- 在高处(在高處) aloft
- 在教 to be a believer (in a religion, especially Islam)
- 正在 in the process of (doing something) ; exactly at a certain position or place
- 在位 to rule; to reign
- 抗言谈在昔(抗言談在昔) with brave words discuss the things of old
- 在行 to be adept at something; to be an expert in a trade or profession
- 存在主义(存在主義) existentialism
- 内在超越(內在超越) inner transcendence (perfection through one's own inner moral cultivation, as in Confucianism, for example)
- 在此之际(在此之際) meanwhile; at the same time
- 在深处(在深處) deeply
- 在天之灵(在天之靈) soul and spirit of the deceased
- 命在旦夕 to be at death's door
- 师父领进门,修行在个人(師父領進門,修行在個人) the master leads you to the door, the rest is up to you
- 堕在(墮在) to descend; to fall
- 在所不辞(在所不辭) not to refuse to ; not to hesitate to
- 在野党(在野黨) opposition party
- 在途 in transit
- 在座 to be present; to participate
- 芒刺在背 feeling brambles and thorns in one's back; uneasy and nervous; to be on pins and needles
- 包在我身上 leave it to me; I'll take care of it
- 潜在媒介(潛在媒介) potential vector
- 在身 to possess; to be occupied or burdened with (work, a contract, a lawsuit)
- 在家人 a layperson; someone other than a monastic
- 在朝 to act in a capacity
- 在场(在場) to be present; to be on the scene
- 在下 under ; myself (humble)
- 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
- 不在话下(不在話下) to be nothing difficult; to be a cinch
- 其见在者(其見在者) those remaining
- 天监在下(天監在下) Heaven looked down from above
- 怀恨在心(懷恨在心) to harbor hard feelings
- 正在面前 right in front of
- 谋事在人,成事在天(謀事在人,成事在天) planning is with man, accomplishing with heaven; Man proposes but God disposes.
- 实实在在(實實在在) real; not exaggerated
- 佛陀出生在人间(佛陀出生在人間) The Buddha was born in the human world
- 困难在于(困難在於) the problem is...
- 在这之前(在這之前) before then; up until that point
- 好在 luckily; fortunately ; admirable ; greetings ; just as good as before
- 势在必得(勢在必得) to be determined to win
- 所在 place; location
- 丑话说在前头(醜話說在前頭) let's talk about the unpleasant things first; let's be frank
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: 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
- 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
- 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
- 蟋蟀在 (蟋蟀在) 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: 3
- 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