Preposition

Potential content

• Can indicate:
  • Time, place, direction
  • Object or target
  • Reason
  • Manner
  • Passive
  • Comparison
  • Exclusion
• Cannot be used alone
• Cannot be reduplicated
• Cannot take aspect particles 了, 着, 过 (in general)
• Cannot form positive-negative questions
• Prepositions collocate (go with) certain objects, e.g.
  • 在, 从 usually go with locations
  • 从 can also go with time words
  • 离 goes with lengths of time or distances
  • 对 indicates objects, recipients or targets
  • 给 also indicates objects, recipients and targets, and also indicates that something is being done for them
  • 连 introduces objects that are surprising or unexpected
  • 被 marks the agent (the person or thing performing the action) in passive constructions

Sources

• 外国人实用汉语语法(中英文对照) (pp. 116 - 123)