at in Chinese

How to write 在

Animated stroke order. Tap a character to replay its stroke order.

在 is listed in the official HSK vocabulary at HSK 1. The beginner band covers the first, most essential words every learner needs.

在 in a sentence

• 我wǒ在zài家jiā。

  I am at home.

• 他tā在zài学xué校xiào学xué习xí。

  He studies at school.

• 我wǒ们men在zài公gōng园yuán见jiàn面miàn。

  We meet at the park.

在 vs 再 vs 里

Similar and easily confused words, and how they differ.

• 再 zài again; once more

  Homophone trap: 再 means 'again' (再见 'see you again'), not location. 在 is 'be at' or the progressive marker — 我在吃饭 'I'm eating'.

• 里 lǐ in; inside

  在 is the verb/preposition 'be at' — 在学校; 里 is the postposition 'inside' attached to a noun — 在学校里 'inside the school'.