Lesson 7 你住在哪儿?
Learn to Say Address in Chinese
Grammar
I. 在 Location Adverb
The Mandarin Chinese particle zài – 在 has several functions. It is most commonly used to indicate location. When used before a place word, zài means “on” “at” or “in”.
Here are some examples of zài as a location word:
Chinese Example
Pinyin
English Translation
他在家。
tā zài jiā.
He is at home.
书在那里。
shū zài nà lǐ.
The book is over there.
Chinese Example | Pinyin | English Translation |
---|---|---|
他在家。 |
tā zài jiā. | He is at home. |
书在那里。 |
shū zài nà lǐ. | The book is over there. |
II. 在 Action is Happening
Another use for zài – 在 is to show that an action is occurring at the present moment. Zài is placed before the verb it modifies:
Here are some examples of zài used to show that an action is happening:
Chinese Example
Pinyin
English Translation
他们在看电视。
tāmen zài kàn diàn shì.
They are watching TV.
她在考试。
tā zài kǎoshì.
She is taking a test.
Chinese Example | Pinyin | English Translation |
---|---|---|
他们在看电视。 |
tāmen zài kàn diàn shì. | They are watching TV. |
她在考试。 |
tā zài kǎoshì. | She is taking a test. |
A Poem Using 住在