How to say “now” in Chinese

xiànzài

“now”

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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Word by word

xiàn

present / to appear

zài

at / to exist

Tone tip

Two falling fourth tones, said crisply: xiàn-zài. 现在几点 (xiànzài jǐ diǎn) asks the time. For 'right now, immediately' use 马上 (mǎshàng).

In a sentence

Wǒ xiànzài hěn máng, děng yíxià dǎ gěi nǐ.

I'm busy right now, I'll call you back in a bit.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say "now" in Chinese?+

"now" in Mandarin Chinese is 现在, pronounced xiànzài. Two falling fourth tones, said crisply: xiàn-zài. 现在几点 (xiànzài jǐ diǎn) asks the time. For 'right now, immediately' use 马上 (mǎshàng).

What does 现在 mean literally?+

现在 breaks down as 现 (xiàn) = present / to appear, 在 (zài) = at / to exist. Together it means "now".

How do I get the tones right in xiànzài?+

Two falling fourth tones, said crisply: xiàn-zài. 现在几点 (xiànzài jǐ diǎn) asks the time. For 'right now, immediately' use 马上 (mǎshàng).

More phrases like this

Master the tones behind it

Mandarin tones explained

What each tone sounds like and why it matters.

Tone sandhi rules

Why some tones change in connected speech.

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See all the phrases on the how to say things in Chinese index, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.