<p>Actually, 在 can express a habitual ongoing action in some context</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>他畢業後(<strong>在</strong>)做散工 - He is (<strong>working</strong>) as a casual worker after he graduated</p>
<p><em>He may not be working right this moment, but taking some odd jobs here and there is a habitual ongoing action that still happening regularly</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-04T04:27:19.337Z
Okay, interesting.  Thanks for your response. I think sometimes I get very focused on the grammar and less on the need for context as well. Looks like this makes "在" even more versatile than I thought. Thanks so much for your response. This really helps a lot. Thank you so much for your response.
AndrewO
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-04T04:21:14.957Z
2021-09-04T04:21:14.957Z
Tang Ho
<p>Hear me out.</p>
<p>Recently I rediscovered the 2010 classic &quot;Doin' Your Mom&quot; by Ray William Johnson (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t53TcKIlMc" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t53TcKIlMc</a>), and since the song is not really stimulating, my mind started wandering.</p>
<p>How would you express &quot;doing your mom,&quot; or a similar, less inappropriate phrase, in Chinese? In the song, Ray William Johnson is doing your mom as an ongoing and regular action, not right now at this moment, so I don't think we would use &quot;在&quot; and certainly not &quot;正在.&quot; Rather, this is an action that he does, and is still doing, habitually. So the action is ongoing, unfinished, and not necessarily happening right now. How would we express this in Chinese? Part of me wants to use &quot;着&quot; but I feel like that might not  be right either. Would it be right to just say &quot;我干你妈&quot;? It seems too simple, but again, I really am not sure.</p>
<p>I appreciate any help you can give me. (I promise, this question is not a joke).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-04T03:22:56.437Z
Could you explain the meaning of "doing your mom" in English?
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-04T04:19:31.893Z
I don't think the *grammar* alone is sufficient to determine whether an action is ongoing or not. For example, `I'm having your leftovers` is grammatically identical to your example in the question, but in no way does it imply that me eating your leftover food is an ongoing action.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-04T04:22:03.463Z
doing your mom = having a sexual relationship with your mother. It would be "跟你媽媽媽在搞婚外情" in Chinese
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-04T04:23:20.307Z
@dROOOze I guess your right. Context is also important. Grammar alone is not the sole identifier. Thanks for your response here.
AndrewO
<translation><grammar><mandarin>
How do you indicate a habitual, ongoing action, as opposed to an action you are currently doing?
# How do you indicate a habitual, ongoing action, as opposed to an action you are currently doing?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-09-04)

Hear me out.

Recently I rediscovered the 2010 classic "Doin' Your Mom" by Ray William Johnson (<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t53TcKIlMc>), and since the song is not really stimulating, my mind started wandering.

How would you express "doing your mom," or a similar, less inappropriate phrase, in Chinese? In the song, Ray William Johnson is doing your mom as an ongoing and regular action, not right now at this moment, so I don't think we would use "在" and certainly not "正在." Rather, this is an action that he does, and is still doing, habitually. So the action is ongoing, unfinished, and not necessarily happening right now. How would we express this in Chinese? Part of me wants to use "着" but I feel like that might not be right either. Would it be right to just say "我干你妈"? It seems too simple, but again, I really am not sure.

I appreciate any help you can give me. (I promise, this question is not a joke).

**Tags:** translation, grammar, mandarin

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Could you explain the meaning of "doing your mom" in English?  
> **username_2**: I don't think the *grammar* alone is sufficient to determine whether an action is ongoing or not. For example, `I'm having your leftovers` is grammatically identical to your example in the question, but in no way does it imply that me eating your leftover food is an ongoing action.  
> **username_3**: doing your mom = having a sexual relationship with your mother. It would be "跟你媽媽媽在搞婚外情" in Chinese  
> **username_0**: @username_2 I guess your right. Context is also important. Grammar alone is not the sole identifier. Thanks for your response here.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-09-04. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Actually, 在 can express a habitual ongoing action in some context

Example:

他畢業後(**在**)做散工 - He is (**working**) as a casual worker after he graduated

*He may not be working right this moment, but taking some odd jobs here and there is a habitual ongoing action that still happening regularly*

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Okay, interesting.  Thanks for your response. I think sometimes I get very focused on the grammar and less on the need for context as well. Looks like this makes "在" even more versatile than I thought. Thanks so much for your response. This really helps a lot. Thank you so much for your response.  

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