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Choosing Mnemonics

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zài = z + ai4
to exist; to be alive / (of sb or sth) to be (located) at / (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)
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How to pronounce 在

MandarinBanana teaches pronunciation with the Marilyn Method: every Pinyin syllable is one initial plus one final, the initial becomes a person, an animal or a deity, and the final becomes a place in your memory palace — with the tone deciding which part of that place the scene happens in. Remember the little story below for each half and the whole syllable comes back with them.

= z initial

Z is for Zorro.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago
+ ai4 final

In the airplane’s bathroom.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago

在 character breakdown

Chinese characters are built out of smaller characters. Each component carries a mnemonic symbol - one concrete object that stands in for it - and a mnemonic story hands those objects to the person and the place that stand for the pronunciation. Learn a component once and every character that reuses it gets easier.

Component Translations
= y + Ø1
one / single / a (article) / as soon as / entire; whole; all; throughout / "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) / also pr. [yao1] for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit
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rén = r + (e)n2
"person" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 9)
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= tu + Ø3
Tu (ethnic group) / surname Tu
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= tu + Ø3
earth / dust / clay / local / indigenous / crude opium / unsophisticated / one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments 八音[ba1 yin1]
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Characters with 在 as component

guài = gu + ai4
variant of 怪[guai4]
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chá = ch + a2
stubble land after crop has been taken / a second crop obtained by rotation of land / an opportunity
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Words with 在

show 270 more
see 項莊舞劍,意在沛公|项庄舞剑,意在沛公[Xiang4 Zhuang1 wu3 jian4 , yi4 zai4 Pei4 gong1]
lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] (idiom); refers to 206 BC plot to murder Liu Bang, aka Duke of Pei 沛公[Pei4 gong1] and the future Han emperor, during a sword dance at the Hongmen feast 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[Hong2 men2 yan4] / an elaborate deception to hide malicious intent
see 養兵千日,用兵一時|养兵千日,用兵一时[yang3 bing1 qian1 ri4 , yong4 bing1 yi1 shi2]

Sentences with 在

zhè
shí
zài
méi
yǒu
zài
zhòng
de
bīng
le

Want to remember 在 for good?

Make it your learning target and MandarinBanana works out the shortest route to it: the two sounds its syllable is built from, then the components of the character itself, one short step at a time. No account needed to start.

zài

to exist; to be alive / (of sb or sth) to be (located) at / (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)

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