Basic Time and Progress Adverbs in Chinese
马上/先/有时/正在
These adverbs locate or organize an event before its verb phrase. 马上 signals that an event will happen very soon, 先 marks the first step, 有时 marks occasional frequency, and 正在 presents an action in progress. Each takes scope over the following predicate.
Published July 23, 2026
Reviewed July 23, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Subject + 马上/先/有时/正在 + Verb Phrase
Read the structure
These adverbs locate or organize an event before its verb phrase. 马上 signals that an event will happen very soon, 先 marks the first step, 有时 marks occasional frequency, and 正在 presents an action in progress. Each takes scope over the following predicate. Keep the model Subject + 马上/先/有时/正在 + Verb Phrase visible while you compare each sentence.
医生马上来。
The doctor is coming right away.
Choose the right context
Use 马上 before an event expected very soon. Use 先 before the action that comes first in a sequence. Use 正在 before a durative action happening at the reference time.
我先吃饭。
I will eat first.
Respect the boundary
Do not put these adverbs after the verb phrase they modify. Do not use 正在 with a bare instantaneous achievement such as 到 without a suitable process reading. Do not use 有时 for a one-time event on a specified day.
他们正在正在唱歌。
(They are singing.)
Repair the pattern
Progress marker duplicated: One 正在 already marks the action as ongoing; a second identical progress marker is redundant. Sequence adverb duplicated: One 先 marks the first action; repeating it in the same adverb slot is malformed.
他们正在唱歌。
Use the repaired structure without changing the intended meaning.
02 / MAP
Read the Sentence
Read from left to right and notice the job performed by each part. The labels describe this example; they are not a rule that every Chinese sentence must copy.
医生马上来。
The doctor is coming right away.
医生
Subject
This part occupies the Subject position in the model pattern.
马上
马上/先/有时/正在
This part occupies the 马上/先/有时/正在 position in the model pattern.
来
Verb Phrase
This part occupies the Verb Phrase position in the model pattern.
03 / EXAMPLES
Examples You Can Reuse
Keep the structure stable while changing the people, objects, times, or conditions. Pinyin is shown as reading support; use the Chinese sentence and translation to confirm the grammar relationship.
医生马上来。
The doctor is coming right away.
我先吃饭。
I will eat first.
他们正在唱歌。
They are singing.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- Use 马上 before an event expected very soon.
- Use 先 before the action that comes first in a sequence.
- Use 正在 before a durative action happening at the reference time.
Do not use it when
- Do not put these adverbs after the verb phrase they modify.
- Do not use 正在 with a bare instantaneous achievement such as 到 without a suitable process reading.
- Do not use 有时 for a one-time event on a specified day.
05 / REPAIR
Compare Right and Wrong
Compare the smallest meaningful change. Each explanation identifies a placement, scope, form, or clause relationship instead of treating the whole sentence as one undifferentiated mistake.
他们正在正在唱歌。
他们正在唱歌。
Progress marker duplicated
One 正在 already marks the action as ongoing; a second identical progress marker is redundant.
我先先吃饭。
我先吃饭。
Sequence adverb duplicated
One 先 marks the first action; repeating it in the same adverb slot is malformed.
他们正在正在唱歌。
One 正在 already marks the action as ongoing; a second identical progress marker is redundant.
我先先吃饭。
One 先 marks the first action; repeating it in the same adverb slot is malformed.
06 / PRACTICE
Practice the Grammar Point
Complete three short tasks in order: judge the pattern, repair a common error, and build the sentence. Feedback is fixed and reviewed, so these activities do not use a checker allowance.
1. Judge the sentence
2. Choose the correction
3. Build the sentence
Build a complete sentence with 马上/先/有时/正在.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 马上/先/有时/正在. Your draft moves to the checker through this browser session, selects this grammar point as the first review focus, and waits for you to submit.
08 / QUESTIONS
Basic Time and Progress Adverbs Questions
Are 在 and 正在 interchangeable?
Both can mark an ongoing action. 正在 highlights progress more explicitly.
Can 先 appear before the subject?
Usually it follows the subject, but it may open an instruction when the subject is understood.
09 / SOURCES
Sources and Review Notes
These references support different parts of the lesson. GF0025-2021 supports level placement only; professional grammar works support the explanation, limits, examples, and cross-checks. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021)
Ministry of Education and State Language Commission · Ministry of Education of the PRC · 2021
Locator: GF0025-2021 Appendix A, Level 1 item 【一11】 (PDF p. 178)
Provides official Level 1 directory placement and examples only; it does not establish the learner-facing usage explanation.
Official sourceModern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed.
Ross, Ma, Chen, He and Yeh · Routledge · 2024
Locator: Chapter 15, §§15.1-15.2, adverb position; Chapter 17, ongoing actions
Places time and aspectual adverbs before their predicates and treats 正在 as an ongoing-action marker.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Easy to confuse
按时/即将/渐渐/尽快Time Adverbs 按时, 即将, 渐渐, and 尽快
Compare the time stages and methods of 马上先有时正在 and 按时即将渐渐尽快 to avoid treating approaching changes as progress.
Compare
偶尔Low Frequency with 偶尔
Distinguish between the general non-fixed frequency of 有时 and the lower frequency of 偶尔, and choose expression based on the number of occurrences.
Continue learning
在在 / 正在: Ongoing Actions
Use 正在 to extend the lesson into progressive 在 and 正在, both placed before the verb phrase.
Easy to confuse
再Conditional or Subsequent 再
Distinguish 再 for a later or conditional repetition from 正在 for an action currently in progress.
RECOMMENDED NEXT
Continue learning
Use 正在 to extend the lesson into progressive 在 and 正在, both placed before the verb phrase.