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在

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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在 U+5728, 在
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5728
← 圧
[U+5727] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 圩 →
[U+5729]
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在

Translingual

More information Stroke order ...
More information Stroke order ...

Han character

在 (Kangxi radical 32, 土+3, 6 strokes, cangjie input 大中土 (KLG), four-corner 40214, composition ⿸𠂇⿰丨土)

Derived characters

References

  • Kangxi Dictionary: not present, would follow page 224, character 18
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 4881
  • Dae Jaweon: page 455, character 14
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 418, character 7
  • Unihan data for U+5728

Further reading

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Chinese

Glyph origin

More information Historical forms of the character 在, Shang ...
Characters in the same phonetic series (才) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
More information Old Chinese ...

Phonetic compound (OC *zlɯːʔ, *zlɯːs): phonetic 才 (OC *zlɯː, *zlɯːs) + phonetic 士 (OC *zrɯʔ).

Now phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *zlɯːʔ, *zlɯːs): phonetic 才 (OC *zlɯː, *zlɯːs) + semantic 土 (“earth”).

在 was often visually identical to 才 (OC *zlɯː, *zlɯːs, “sprout”) in the oracle bone script and some of the bronze inscriptions. It may be either a phonetic loan or a figurative derivative.

Etymology 1

More information simp. and trad., alternative forms ...

Probably related to 栽 (OC *ʔslɯː, “to plant”) (Schuessler, 2007).

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

Note: de4 - modal particle.
Note:
  • Sixian:
    • chhai - literary;
    • chhôi - colloquial;
    • ti/tu/tui/to/chhi/thê/thî/tî/chhî/chhô/chhok - colloquial (probably substitute).
  • Meixian:
    • cai4 - literary;
    • coi1 - colloquial;
    • hoi1/hoi4 - colloquial (preposition, also written as 嗨 or 喺).
  • Dialectal data
More information Variety, Location ...
More information Rime, Character ...
More information Character, Reading # ...
More information Zhengzhang system (2003), Character ...

Definitions

在

  1. to exist; to be present; to be alive
    在嗎？／在吗？  ―  Zài ma?  ―  Are you here?
  2. to be at; to be in; to be located
    他在哪裡？／他在哪里？  ―  Tā zài nǎlǐ?  ―  Where is he?
    旅館在新購物中心附近。 [MSC, trad.]
    旅馆在新购物中心附近。 [MSC, simp.]
    Lǚguǎn zài xīn gòuwù zhōngxīn fùjìn. [Pinyin]
    The hotel is located near the new shopping center.
    我在只塊。／我在只块。 [Teochew]  ―  ua2 do6 zi2 go3. [Peng'im]  ―  I am here.
  3. be ...-ing; in the middle of doing something (indicating an action in progress)
    我在看電視。／我在看电视。  ―  Wǒ zài kàn diànshì.  ―  I'm watching TV.
    他在吃米飯。／他在吃米饭。  ―  Tā zài chī mǐfàn.  ―  He's eating rice.
    我在食飯。／我在食饭。 [Teochew]  ―  ua2 do6 ziah8 beng7. [Peng'im]  ―  I am eating.
  4. (located) in; at
    我住在中國。／我住在中国。  ―  Wǒ zhù zài Zhōngguó.  ―  I live in China.
    我們在當地報紙上登了一則廣告。 [MSC, trad.]
    我们在当地报纸上登了一则广告。 [MSC, simp.]
    Wǒmen zài dāngdì bàozhǐ shàng dēng le yī zé guǎnggào. [Pinyin]
    We put an ad in the local paper.
    每天下午他在家裡工作。 [MSC, trad.]
    每天下午他在家里工作。 [MSC, simp.]
    Měitiān xiàwǔ tā zài jiālǐ gōngzuò. [Pinyin]
    Every afternoon he works at home.
    在華／在华  ―  zài Huá  ―  in China
    在日  ―  zài Rì  ―  in Japan
  5. during; in
    你打算在假期裡做什麼？ [MSC, trad.]
    你打算在假期里做什么？ [MSC, simp.]
    Nǐ dǎsuàn zài jiàqī lǐ zuò shénme? [Pinyin]
    What do you plan to do during the holidays?
    他的日記在他生前未曾發表過。 [MSC, trad.]
    他的日记在他生前未曾发表过。 [MSC, simp.]
    Tā de rìjì zài tā shēngqián wèicéng fābiǎo guò. [Pinyin]
    His diary was not published during his lifetime.
  6. to lie in; to rest with
    事在人為／事在人为  ―  shìzàirénwéi  ―  human effort can achieve everything;
    成功貴在堅持。／成功贵在坚持。  ―  Chénggōng guì zài jiānchí.  ―  Perseverance is vital to success.
    去不去在你自己。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]
    Qù bù qù zài nǐ zìjǐ. [Pinyin]
    It's up to you whether to go or not.
  7. to be at the post
    在職／在职  ―  zàizhí  ―  to be on the job; to be at one's post
    在野  ―  zàiyě  ―  to be out of office
  8. Misspelling of 再 (zài).
  9. a surname
  10. (Hokkien) steady
    坐較在咧 [Hokkien, trad.]
    坐较在咧 [Hokkien, simp.]
    From: https://sutian.moe.edu.tw/zh-hant/su/2128/
    chē khah chāi leh [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]
    Sit a little more steadily.
  11. (Singapore Hokkien) solid, confident, and collected under pressure; skilled
    伊真在咧 [Hokkien]  ―  i chin chāi leh [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  He's so talented!
Synonyms
  • (to exist):
  • (in):
Dialectal synonyms of 在 (“at, in”) [map]
More information Variety, Location ...
  • (during):
Dialectal synonyms of 正在 (“in the process of; currently”) [map]
More information Variety, Location ...
  • (steady):

在穩／在稳 (chāi-ún), 穩定／稳定 (wěndìng)

Compounds

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (在):
  • → Vietnamese: tại (在)

→ English: zai (“skilled”)

Etymology 2

More information simp. and trad. ...

Pronunciation

Definitions

在

  1. (Hokkien) alternative form of 佇 (“at, in”)

References

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Japanese

Korean

Old Korean

Vietnamese

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