MANDARIN SENTENCE PATTERN

Actions in progress with 在

Describe what someone is doing right now.

Subject + (正)在 + action + (呢)

在 before an action can mark an activity in progress. 正在 adds an explicit sense of right now; 呢 may occur at the end.

Compare 在看书, reading right now, with 在家, at home. The words after 在 help distinguish the uses.

Examples

我在看书。

Wǒ zài kàn shū.

I am reading a book.

她正在做饭。

Tā zhèngzài zuò fàn.

She is cooking right now.

你在做什么呢？

Nǐ zài zuò shénme ne?

What are you doing?

Not every English -ing form calls for 在. This pattern describes an activity in progress.