(zài yú) - to lie in, to consist in; to depend on in Mandarin
zàiyúTraditional: 在於
Translation
to lie in, to consist in; to depend on
Word origin
A compound of 在 (zài, to be at) and the literary preposition 于 (yú, at, in), the pair fused into a single verb meaning to reside in.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 在 (zài, to be at) + 于 (yú, at, in)
Stroke order
在
于
Examples
。
The problem is that we have no time.
。
Success lies in keeping at it.
。
The crux of it is how you say it.
。
The value of this book lies in its source material.
。
Whether to go or not is up to you.
在于 (zài yú) points at where the heart of something sits. 问题在于, 关键在于, 原因在于 and 意义在于 are the four you will meet most often, and each one sets up the explanation that follows.
It takes either a noun or a whole clause after it, which is what makes it so useful: 成功在于坚持 and 问题在于我们没有时间 are both perfectly ordinary. In its third sense it means to rest with somebody, so 在于你 is up to you.
The trap is hearing 在 and expecting a place. 在于 never means located at, and 他在于北京 is not a sentence. It is written register as well, so in speech most people say 问题是 rather than 问题在于, and keep 在于 for essays, speeches and reports.
Where this fits
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在于: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "在于" (to lie in, to consist in; to depend on): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 58.