How to say “now” in Chinese
now
“Now” in Chinese is 现在, xiàn zài: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
现在 is read xiàn zài: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “现在”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 现在. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 你现在忙吗？nǐxiànzàimángmaAre you busy now?
- 现在两点十分xiànzàiliǎngdiǎnshífēnIt's ten past two.
- 现在三点半xiànzàisāndiǎnbànIt's half past three.
- 现在几点xiànzàijǐdiǎnWhat time is it?
- 我们现在去商店吗？wǒmenxiànzàiqùshāngdiànmaAre we going to the store now?
- 现在八点一刻。xiànzàibādiǎnyíkèIt's a quarter past eight now.
More words from the lesson “Today, tomorrow, yesterday”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “now” in Chinese?
“Now” in Chinese is 现在, pinyin xiànzài.
What does 现在 mean?
现在 (xiànzài) means “now”.
How do you write 现在?
现在 is 2 characters: 现 (xiàn) — current; appear; 在 (zài) — be at, be in. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 现在?
现在 is read xiànzài. Tones: xiàn — fourth tone, zài — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“now” in the lesson “Today, tomorrow, yesterday”
This word is from the topic “Time and the day” of HSK 1. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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