Kilo Lingo

(xiàn zài) - now, at present in Mandarin

xiànzài

Traditional: 現在

Line drawing of 现在
Coloured illustration of 现在
HSK 1
#47 of 5,000 Core 1000

Translation

now, at present

Word origin

A two-character compound meaning now. 现 (xiàn) 'to appear, present' has the 玉 'jade' radical with 见 (jiàn) 'to see' as phonetic, and 在 (zài) 'to exist, at' marks present existence.

Origin
compound
Root
现 (xiàn, 'present'; 玉 radical + 见 phonetic) + 在 (zài, 'to exist/at')

Stroke order

Stroke order for 现

Stroke order for 在

Examples

What time is it now?

I am very busy now, let us talk later.

Young people nowadays all like using their phones.

I am setting off right now.

Where are you now?

Used in

Add to review queue

Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.

Go to my review queue

This word is part of lesson 1.