The character 在 — “be at”: how to write it and what it means
be at, be in
The Chinese character 在 is read zài and means “be at, be in”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 在
在 has 6 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 在, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 在
- 现在nowHSK 1
- 正在right now (in progress)HSK 1
- 实在really, truly; honestHSK 4
- 在乎care about; (not) mindHSK 5
- 在线onlineHSK 5
- 在于lie inHSK 5
- 在场be present (at the scene)HSK 5
- 在内includingHSK 5
- 存在existHSK 5
- 在意take to heart, care aboutHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 在?
在 has 6 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 在 mean?
在 means “be at, be in”. It appears in 现在 (“now”), 正在 (“right now”), 实在 (“really”), 在乎 (“care about”).
How do you pronounce 在?
在 is read zài. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 在 have?
6 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 在 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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