Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Chinese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about wǒ zài jiā.
Where is the verb “to be”? Why isn’t there 是 in 我在家?
For location, Mandarin uses 在 as the verb meaning “to be located at.” So 我在家 literally means “I am at home.” Using 是 for location (e.g., 我是家) is ungrammatical.
Is 在 a verb or a preposition here?
Here it’s a verb (“to be at/in/on”). When 在 comes before another verb to mark location, it behaves like a preposition/coverb: 我在家看书 “I read/am reading at home.”
Does 我在家 mean “I live at home”?
No, it states current location. To express living, use 住: 我住在家里 or 我跟父母住.
What’s the difference between 家, 家里, and 房子?
- 家 = “home” (default for being at one’s home): 我在家.
- 家里 = “inside (the) home,” a bit more interior/explicit: 我在家里.
- 房子 = “house (building)”: 我在房子里 is literal “inside the house” and is less idiomatic than 在家 when you simply mean “at home.”
Should I add 里 after 家?
Not necessary. 在家 is the standard, idiomatic way to say “at home.” 在家里 is also correct and slightly emphasizes “inside.”
How do I say “I’m not at home”?
- General/at-present: 我不在家.
- With a specific time or past context: 昨天我没在家.
Colloquially, people also say 他没在家 for “he isn’t home,” but 不在家 is the default for a present state.
How do I make questions from this?
- Yes/no: 他在家吗？ “Is he at home?”
- Wh-: 你在哪儿/哪里？ “Where are you?”
- Elliptical: 在家吗？ “(Are you) at home?”
Can I specify whose home, like “at my/your place”?
Yes: 在我家、在你家、在他家. For example, 他在我家 “He’s at my place.” Since 我在家 already implies your own home, 我在我家 is used mainly for contrast: “I’m at my place (not elsewhere).”
Can I drop the subject or the place?
- As a reply, you can drop the subject: 在哪儿？— 在家。
- You usually can’t drop the place after 在 in a full sentence, but in conversation 我在 or just 在 can mean “I’m here/present” (e.g., in roll call or chats).
Pronunciation tips for 我在家 (wǒ zài jiā)?
- 我 (wǒ): 3rd tone pronounced as a low “half-third” before the 4th tone—don’t make it a rising tone.
- 在 (zài): strong falling 4th tone.
- 家 (jiā): high-level 1st tone.
Can the location come first?
Basic statement is 我在家. You can topicalize in longer sentences: 在家，我很放松。 But you can’t say 在家我是 to mean “I am at home.”
Do I need an article or measure word, like “the” or “a”?
No articles in Chinese. 在家 already means “at home.” 在一个家 is unusual unless you mean “in a (certain) family” in an abstract sense.
How does 在 work with ongoing actions?
There are two uses:
- Location: 我在家 “I’m at home.”
- Progressive marker: 我在看书 / 我正在看书 “I’m reading.”
Combine them like: 我在家看书呢 or 我正在家看书. Avoid doubling: don’t say 我在家在看书.
Can I add particles like 呢 or 了?
- 呢 can mark an ongoing state or a casual, in-progress feel: 我在家呢 (often as an answer to “Where are you?”).
- 了 isn’t used just to state location. To express arrival, say 我到家了 or 我回家了.
What’s the difference between 我在家 and 我到家了/我回家了?
- 我在家: I’m (located) at home.
- 我到家了 / 我回家了: I’ve arrived home / I came back home (change of state).
How can I add emphasis or nuance?
- 我就在家 “I’m right at home.”
- 我还在家 “I’m still at home.”
- 我是在家…的 (cleft for emphasis on location): 我是在家看的 “I watched it at home.”
Why are there spaces between the characters here?
In normal Chinese writing there are no spaces between characters. Teaching materials sometimes add spaces (and pinyin) to highlight word boundaries. The natural written form is 我在家。