Actions in progress: 在 / 正在 / 正 … 呢
【一11】【一22】【一42】进行态 (在、正、正在…呢)
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
To say an action is in progress, put 在 (zài), 正在 (zhèngzài) or 正 (zhèng) before the verb, often with 呢 (ne) at the end:
我在看电视呢 (I'm watching TV).
• 在: the most common.
• 正在: stresses “right at this moment”.
• 正 … 呢: 正 almost always comes with 呢.
• 呢 alone is sometimes enough in speech: 我洗衣服呢.
Negative: 我没（在）看电视 (I'm not watching TV).
It isn't a tense: it also works in the past if context says so (“when the teacher came in, I was…”).
Examples
我在看电视呢。
Wǒ zài kàn diànshì ne.I'm watching TV.
外边正在下雨。
Wàibian zhèngzài xià yǔ.It's raining outside.
你等一下儿，他正吃饭呢。
Nǐ děng yíxiàr, tā zhèng chī fàn ne.Wait a moment, he's eating.
孩子在睡觉，你别说话。
Háizi zài shuìjiào, nǐ bié shuōhuà.The child is sleeping, don't talk.
你在做什么？我洗衣服呢。
Nǐ zài zuò shénme? Wǒ xǐ yīfu ne.What are you doing? I'm doing laundry.
Common mistakes
✗ 我在是学生 / 我在有 → impossible: 是, 有, 知道, 喜欢 aren't ongoing actions.
✗ 我不在看书 → ✓ 我没在看书.
Don't confuse with 在 + place: 我在家 (I'm at home).