在 zài
at / in / (progressive marker)
在 (zài) does two high-frequency jobs: it places people and things in space, and it marks actions happening right now. 我在家 means I'm at home; 我在看书 means I'm reading.
How to use 在
我在 ___
I'm at ___
你在哪里？
Where are you?
在 ___ 里面
inside ___
在 ___ 旁边
beside ___
我在看书
I'm reading (progressive)
他不在
He's not here
Words used with 在
在
zài
to be at/in / -ing (ongoing)
不在
bú zài
not at / not present
外面
wàimiàn
outside
学习
xuéxí
to study
工作
gōngzuò
to work
Frequently asked questions
What does 在 (zài) mean in Chinese?
在 (zài) means "at / in / (progressive marker)" in Chinese. 在 (zài) does two high-frequency jobs: it places people and things in space, and it marks actions happening right now. 我在家 means I'm at home; 我在看书 means I'm reading.
How do you use 在 in a sentence?
The core pattern is "我在 ___" (I'm at ___). Once you know this block, you can reuse it with many other words to build full sentences.
What words are commonly used with 在?
Common words that pair with 在 include 在, 不在. Learning these together helps you build complete, natural sentences instead of isolated vocabulary.
What is the difference between 在 (zài) and 是 (shì)?
Both are high-frequency Chinese words taught early in Speak1000. 在 means "at / in / (progressive marker)"; 是 means "to be". The fastest way to tell them apart is to hear each one used in real sentences — our free lessons drill every word in context so the contrast becomes natural.
Related Chinese concepts
Why this concept matters
One concept should unlock a network, not one translation
Speak1000 teaches 在 as part of a cumulative sentence network. You connect it to concepts you already know, hear the combinations in context, and retrieve them in new situations.
See the Concept Unlock MethodHear 在 used in real sentences
The fastest way to remember 在 (zài) is to hear it used naturally. Start with our free interactive lesson and practice with real audio from day one.
Try Free Lesson: Unit 1