This paper proposes that the fundamental difference between zheng(正)and zai(在)in Chinese should be that the former is an expression of modality,and the latter of aspect.Zheng expresses the modality of coincidence,and it stresses that the person or thing is just coincidental with a kind of identity,quality,state,etc.,or that two relevant things,events or situations are just coincidental on some points(including time).Zai is a marker of the progressive aspect of the verbs regard-ing action,change,etc.Zhengzai(正在)expresses both modality and aspect based on the meanings of zheng and zai,but its syntactic functions,compared with those of zheng and zai,are not limited to the intersection of the functions of the two words,but are narrower or broader under different circumstances.
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