Difference between revisions of "Expressing location with "zai... shang / xia / li""
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Some prepositions can be paired with more abstract concepts to form idiomatic phrases. These kinds of phrases can really make your Chinese sound polished. Learn more about this construction here: [[Idiomatic phrases with "zai"]] | Some prepositions can be paired with more abstract concepts to form idiomatic phrases. These kinds of phrases can really make your Chinese sound polished. Learn more about this construction here: [[Idiomatic phrases with "zai"]] | ||
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==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
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{{Similar|Complements with "dao", "gei" and "zai"}} | {{Similar|Complements with "dao", "gei" and "zai"}} | ||
{{Similar|Basic sentence order}} | {{Similar|Basic sentence order}} | ||
| + | {{Similar|Idiomatic phrases with "zai"}} | ||
{{POS|Sentence Patterns}} | {{POS|Sentence Patterns}} | ||
{{Translation|in}} | {{Translation|in}} | ||
{{Translation|at}} | {{Translation|at}} | ||
Revision as of 07:29, 18 June 2013
| This article is a stub. Editors can help the Chinese Grammar Wiki by expanding it. |
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Keywords
You can use 在 (zài) to express location, but this article will explain how to use 在 to express location in relation to another object. This way, you can describe if something is "on the table" or "in the room".
Contents
Structure used for Location
To show where an object is in relation to another object, you can use 在 and a direction complement.
在 + Location + 上/下/里/旁边/etc
Notice that the "preposition" comes after the location that it modifies. That is, in English we say "on the table," but in Chinese, it is more like "at the table, on." This can be somewhat confusing, but don't worry. Once you start using this construction, it gets easy really quickly.
Examples
- 你 的 手机 在 桌子 上。Your cell phone is on the table.
- 他 在 楼 下。He is on the lower floor.
- 在 这 个 盒子 里 有 什么？What is inside of this box?
- 一 个 中国 人在 我 旁边。There is a Chinese person at my side.
Abstract Uses
Some prepositions can be paired with more abstract concepts to form idiomatic phrases. These kinds of phrases can really make your Chinese sound polished. Learn more about this construction here: Idiomatic phrases with "zai"
See Also
Sources and Further Reading
Books
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 128) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (p. 191) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 264, 325)→buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 40-1, 164-5, 185) →buy
