Example sentences
xiàn现zài在jiù就zǒu走ma吗？
Leave now?
wǒ我xiàn现zài在hěn很máng忙。
I'm busy now.
The story behind the character
现
王 (jade) plus 见 (to see). It meant the luster of jade showing through, then "to appear," then "the present."
在
才 on top, 土 (earth) below. A plant just breaking through the soil. That's existence. Xu Shen wrote 在, 存也: "to exist." So "我在家" is literally "I exist, here at home."