| Change log entry 57062 | |
|---|---|
| Processed by: | ycandau (2015-04-14 17:11:57 UTC) |
| Comment: |
<< review queue entry 54380 - submitted by 'pjshumphreys' >> According to http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/正, definition 10 is listed as "just now", and definition 3 is "just so". In addition, definitions 1 is "straight, upright", and in English this meaning can also be expressed using the word "just". The same goes for definition 2, "right, proper, correct". I believe further evidence can be seen in other CE-Dict definitions such as 正義 - "justice". The character 在 when used on it's own is frequently used as a particle to indicate a position in time or place, just as "at" is frequently used in English. This translation of the character can also be used in terms like 現在 (at present) and 不在 (to not be present/not at). In conjunction with one another, 正在 is used to indicate the progressive aspect http://mandarin.about.com/od/time/a/Mandarin-Timeframes.htm. "Right now" is the most idiomatic equivalent term in English, but "just at" can have a similar meaning (for example, "I am busy just at the moment. Can you call me back later?" which can be seen at http://grammar-teacher.com/just/). In conclusion, I believe the English "just at" fits the Chinese 正在 most closely, both for the individual characters, and in their meaning as a word. Editor: still disagree with glossing this as "just at", as this doesn't make sense for the user. However I understand your underlying argument that 正 means "just" and 在 means, well, 在... in all its uses. In fact 正在 is not a word. But we'll keep it with a wider def, as a common reinforcement of 在. I think this is, in spirit, similar to what you contend for. |
| Diff: |
- 正在 正在 [zheng4 zai4] /in the process of (doing something or happening)/while (doing)/ # + 正在 正在 [zheng4 zai4] /just at (adverb to indicate the progressive aspect. i.e. right now)/while (doing)/ + 正在 正在 [zheng4 zai4] /just at (that time)/right in (that place)/right in the middle of (doing sth)/ |