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
  • Some prepositions are also verbs, and others are exclusively prepositions [1].

Sources