在 and 着: doing it now, and staying that way
他在看书 (an action going on) and 门开着 (a state that lasts): two kinds of '-ing'.
Part of the free A2 Chinese course (about HSK 3). Examples are in Simplified characters with pinyin; press the speaker to hear one with your device's Chinese voice.
Two kinds of "-ing"
English uses -ing for two quite different things:
- an action in progress: He is reading. Something is happening, moving forward.
- a state that stays: The door is open. She's wearing a red coat. Nothing is happening; things just stay that way.
Chinese has a different tool for each: 在 for actions in progress, 着 for states that stay.
在 / 正在 + verb: an action in progress
Put 在 (zài) or 正在 (zhèngzài, right now) before the verb. You can add 呢 (ne) at the end, which makes it sound friendlier and more spoken.
- 他在看书。(Tā zài kàn shū.)He's reading.
- 我正在做饭呢。(Wǒ zhèngzài zuò fàn ne.)I'm cooking right now.
- 你在找什么？(Nǐ zài zhǎo shénme?)What are you looking for?
| Form | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 在 + verb | the everyday form | 她在睡觉。(Tā zài shuìjiào.) |
| 正在 + verb | right at this moment | 她正在睡觉。(Tā zhèngzài shuìjiào.) |
| verb + 呢 | spoken, casual | 她睡觉呢。(Tā shuìjiào ne.) |
It isn't only about now. With a time word, 在 tells you what was going on at that time:
- 昨天晚上八点我在洗澡。(Zuótiān wǎnshang bā diǎn wǒ zài xǐzǎo.)At eight last night I was having a shower.
The negative is 没(在) + verb: 他没在工作 (tā méi zài gōngzuò) or 他没工作 = he isn't working.
This 在 is the same word as the 在 of place in 在: where things are and where things happen. 他在图书馆看书 = he reads (or is reading) at the library: one 在 does both jobs.
Verb + 着: a state that stays
着 (zhe, neutral tone) goes straight after the verb. It says the result of an action is still there: the door was opened and stays open; the coat was put on and stays on.
- 门开着。(Mén kāi zhe.)The door is open.
- 她穿着一件红色的大衣。(Tā chuān zhe yí jiàn hóngsè de dàyī.)She's wearing a red coat.
- 桌子上放着一本书。(Zhuōzi shang fàng zhe yì běn shū.)There's a book (lying) on the table.
The last pattern, place + verb + 着 + thing, describes what is where: 墙上挂着画 (a picture hangs on the wall), 门口站着一个人 (someone is standing at the door).
| Action: 在 + verb | State: verb + 着 |
|---|---|
| 他在开门。He's opening the door. | 门开着。The door is open. |
| 她在穿大衣。She's putting her coat on. | 她穿着大衣。She has her coat on. |
| 他在戴眼镜。He's putting his glasses on. | 他戴着眼镜。He's wearing glasses. |
Verb + 着 + another verb: how you do it
着 also tells you the way you do something: 坐着吃 = eat sitting down, 走着去 = go on foot.
- 我们走着去吧。(Wǒmen zǒu zhe qù ba.)Let's walk there.
Not with "state" verbs
在 is for actions that go on. Verbs that are already states don't take it: 是, 有, 知道 (zhīdao, know), 喜欢 (xǐhuan, like), 认识 (rènshi, know a person).
Common mistakes
我在喜欢中国菜。→ 我喜欢中国菜。Liking is a state, not an action in progress.门在开。for "the door is open" → 门开着。门在开 would mean the door is in the middle of opening (moving), not that it is open.他在戴着眼镜。for "he's wearing glasses" → 他戴着眼镜。The state needs only 着.他不在看书。→ 他没在看书 (or 他没看书)。The standard negative of 在 + verb is 没. (不在看书 is heard in some casual speech and in contrasts like 他不是在看书，是在玩手机, but learners should use 没. 不在 on its own means "isn't here".)我看着书在。→ 我在看书。在 goes before the verb, 着 after it.
Practice
- 妈妈_____做饭呢。(Māma ___ zuò fàn ne.)Options: 在 (zài) · 着 (zhe) · 过 (guo)
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在 (zài) — An action in progress: 在 + verb (+ 呢).
- 窗户开_____。(Chuānghu kāi ___.)Options: 着 (zhe) · 在 (zài) · 过 (guo)
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着 (zhe) — A state that stays: verb + 着.
- 他_____睡觉，别打电话。(Tā ___ shuìjiào, bié dǎ diànhuà.)
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在 — 在 or 正在 before the verb.
- Which sentence means 'He's wearing glasses'?Options: 他戴着眼镜。(Tā dài zhe yǎnjìng.) · 他在戴眼镜。(Tā zài dài yǎnjìng.) · 他戴过眼镜。(Tā dài guo yǎnjìng.)
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他戴着眼镜。(Tā dài zhe yǎnjìng.) — Wearing is a state: 着. 在戴 = he's putting them on; 戴过 = he has worn glasses at some point.