Preposition

Prepositions are words that indicate location or direction. They are called prepositions because they come before the words that they modify (which are usually nouns). However, in Chinese this can sometimes get a little confusing when they are complementing a verb like "在".

Functions

Prepositions do a lot of work that we sometimes take for granted. They help indicate the environment (when and where), direction (to, from, at), reason, manner, and other functions that make the sentences cohesive. However, they have some rules to go with them,

Notes

• Can indicate:
• 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
• Some prepositions are also verbs, and others are exclusively prepositions .
• 比
  • 比 ... 得多 / 多了
  • 比 ... 更 / 还
  • ... 比 ... 都 ...
  • ... 比起 ... 来 ...
• 朝
• 趁
• 当
• 对
• 对于
• 关于
• 就
• 据
• 靠
• 凭
• 随着
• 往
• 为
• 为了
• 向依照
• 以
• 由
• 自
• 自从
• 在 ... 上, 中, 下

Sources

• 实用汉语语法 (p. 56 - 57)
• Practicing HSK Grammar (pp. 67 - 94)
• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 82 - 88)