在 meaning and stroke order
To exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at; (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)
How to write 在, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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Meaning of 在
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to exist; to be alive
- (of sb or sth) to be (located) at
- (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)
How 在 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Earth.
土 gives the meaning and 才 hints at the sound.
Radical: 土 (soil), shared by 183 characters on this site.
How to remember 在
在 is built from 才 (cái), which gives the sound, and 土 (tǔ, earth), which gives the meaning. Picture something sitting on the earth 土: if it is on the ground, it exists and it is located somewhere.
在 (zài) tells where someone or something is, and it can also go before a verb to show an action in progress. 我在家 (wǒ zài jiā) means "I am at home," and 我在吃饭 (wǒ zài chī fàn) means "I am eating." It appears in very common words like 现在 (xiànzài, now) and 正在 (zhèngzài, in the process of).
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 在 (zài) with 再 (zài, again) because they sound the same. 在 is about place or ongoing action, while 再 means "again" or "then," as in 再见 (zàijiàn, goodbye).
Common words with 在
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 现在 | xiànzài | now; at present; currently | HSK 1 |
| 正在 | zhèngzài | to be in the process of (doing sth); to be currently ...-ing | HSK 1 |
| 在家 | zàijiā | to be at home; (at a workplace) to be in (as opposed to being away on official business 出差 | HSK 1 |
| 实在 | shízài | really; actually | HSK 2 |
| 存在 | cúnzài | to exist; to be | HSK 3 |
| 不在乎 | bùzàihu | not to care | HSK 4 |
| 在乎 | zàihu | to rest with; to lie in; to be due to (a certain attribute); (often used in the negative) | HSK 4 |
| 在于 | zàiyú | to rest with; to lie in; to be due to (a certain attribute); (of a matter) to be determine | HSK 4 |
| 在场 | zàichǎng | to be present; to be on the scene | HSK 5 |
| 所在 | suǒzài | place; location | HSK 5 |
| 处在 | chǔzài | to be situated at; to find oneself at | HSK 5 |
| 在内 | zàinèi | (included) in it; among them | HSK 5 |
| 内在 | nèizài | inner; internal | HSK 5 |
| 自在 | zìzai | comfortable; at ease | HSK 6 |
在 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 在
Learning 在 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 在
How many strokes are in 在?
在 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 在 mean?
在 (zài) means to exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at; (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress). A common word with it is 现在 (xiànzài), meaning "now; at present; currently".
How do you pronounce 在?
在 is pronounced zài, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 在?
The radical of 在 is 土, which carries the idea of "soil". Dictionaries list 在 under this radical.
Is 在 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 在 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 在 and 是 for saying "to be"?
Use 在 for location, as in 他在学校 (tā zài xuéxiào, he is at school). Use 是 (shì) to link two nouns, as in 他是老师 (tā shì lǎoshī, he is a teacher). Do not say 他是在学校 when you simply mean location.
How do you say someone is not at a place?
Put 不 (bù) before 在: 他不在家 (tā bú zài jiā) means "he is not at home." Note that 不 changes to the second tone, bú, before the fourth tone of zài.