现在 (xiànzài) — now in Mandarin
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#71 most common word · HSK 1 · CEFR A1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
现在 is pronounced xiànzài. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Xiànzài shì shàngwǔ shí diǎn.
Now it's 10 AM.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 现在 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 现在 mean?+
现在 (xiànzài) means "now" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 现在?+
现在 is pronounced xiànzài. It uses the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 现在 in Mandarin?+
现在 is the #71 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 现在 fits
Every HSK 1 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.