When to use 在 vs 正在 in Mandarin Is there any particular rule about when someone should use 在 and when someone should use 正在? I've been studying Mandarin through Rosetta Stone and this is one area that seems to confuse me. I know the program will occasionally throw different uses of the language in there just to expose students. From what I've been able to figure out, it looks like 在 is used to indicate that an action is in progress or that an object is in a particular place. And it appears that 正在 is used when you want to tell someone that you're in a place doing a thing. If you want to put an action and a location in the same sentence it seems like 正在 gets used. 我在房子里 我正在房子里看电视 Is that basically correct or am I missing something?