How to say 現在

  • Traditional characters: 現在
  • Pinyin (Taiwan standard): xiàn zài
  • Zhuyin (bopomofo): ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄗㄞˋ
  • Meaning: now

Hear it in a Taiwan accent:

現在 in example sentences

Real lines from CiaoSpeak’s graded stories, each with pinyin, an English translation and Taiwan-accent audio.

台南？現在七月欸，台南比台北還熱！

Tái nán xiàn zài qī yuè èi Tái nán bǐ Tái běi hái rè

Tainan? It's July — Tainan is even hotter than Taipei!

From the story 台南還是花蓮？ (Tainan or Hualien?)

現在？現在三點欸。你想中暑嗎？

xiàn zài xiàn zài sān diǎn èi nǐ xiǎng zhòng shǔ ma

Now? It's three o'clock. You want heatstroke?

From the story 三十六度 (Thirty-Six Degrees)

我現在去買！你不要告訴你先生我說了。

wǒ xiàn zài qù mǎi nǐ bú yào gào su nǐ xiān sheng wǒ shuō le

I'll go buy them now! Don't tell your husband I told you.

From the story 驚喜派對 (The Surprise Party)

新竹有一家公司找我，薪水比現在多三成。

Xīn zhú yǒu yì jiā gōng sī zhǎo wǒ xīn shuǐ bǐ xiàn zài duō sān chéng

A company in Hsinchu wants me. Thirty percent more than I make now.

From the story 要不要換工作 (Should I Change Jobs?)

其實…現在的工作雖然錢少，但是我每天都學到新東西。

qí shí xiàn zài de gōng zuò suī rán qián shǎo dàn shì wǒ měi tiān dōu xué dào xīn dōng xi

Honestly... my current job pays less, but I learn something new every day.

From the story 要不要換工作 (Should I Change Jobs?)

Where 現在 is taught

  • Unit level: TOCFL Band A (CiaoSpeak’s placement, not the official TOCFL word list)
  • Unit: Staying Connected
  • Lesson: Crossing the Street
  • Taught just before: 橋
  • Taught just after: 斤