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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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<p>You can <a href=
"Indicating_location_with_&quot;zai&quot;_before_verbs" title=
"wikilink">use 在 (zài) to express location</a>, but this article
will explain how to use 在 (zài) to express location in relation to
another object. This way, you can describe if something is "on the
table" or "in the room."</p>
<h2 id="在-zài-with-big-locations">在 (zài) with "Big Locations"</h2>
<p>If you're talking about a "big place," like a country or city,
then all you need is 在 (zài) and the name of the place.</p>
<h3 id="structure">Structure</h3>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>在 + Place</p>
</div>
<h3 id="examples">Examples</h3>
<p>For example, these phrases are fine just as they are:</p>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>在 中国 <span class="pinyin">zài Zhōngguó</span><span class=
"trans">in China</span></li>
<li>在 美国 <span class="pinyin">zài Měiguó</span><span class=
"trans">in the USA</span></li>
<li>在 上海 <span class="pinyin">zài Shànghǎi</span><span class=
"trans">in Shanghai</span></li>
<li>在 纽约 <span class="pinyin">zài Niǔyuē</span><span class=
"trans">in New York</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>You wouldn't want to add other words to the ends of these place
names.</p>
<h2 id="在-zài-with-specific-locations">在 (zài) with Specific
Locations</h2>
<p>To show where an object is in relation to another object, make a
"sandwich" starting with 在 (zài), add a place, and then add one of
the following words: 上 (shàng), 下 (xià), 里 (lǐ), 旁边 (pángbiān).</p>
<h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>在 + Place + 上 / 下 / 里 / 旁边 / etc.</p>
</div>
<p>Notice that the <a href="preposition" title=
"wikilink">"preposition"</a> comes after the location and object
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.</p>
<h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>我 <em>在</em> 火车 <em>上</em>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>zài</em>
huǒchē <em>shàng</em>.</span><span class="trans">I am on the
train.</span></li>
<li>他 <em>在</em> 楼<em>下</em>。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>zài</em>
lóu<em>xià</em>.</span><span class="trans">He is
downstairs.</span></li>
<li>Walmart <em>在</em> 我家 <em>旁边</em>。<span class="pinyin">Walmart
<em>zài</em> wǒ jiā <em>pángbiān</em>.</span><span class=
"trans">Walmart is next to my house.</span></li>
<li>你 的 手机 <em>在</em> 包 <em>里</em>吗？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ de
shǒujī <em>zài</em> bāo <em>lǐ</em> ma?</span> <span class=
"trans">Is your cell phone in the bag?</span></li>
<li><em>在</em> 地铁 <em>上</em> 有 很 多 人。<span class=
"pinyin"><em>Zài</em> dìtiě <em>shàng</em> yǒu hěn duō
rén.</span><span class="trans">On the metro there are a lot of
people.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="common-nouns-of-locality">Common Nouns of Locality</h2>
<p>The little words that come after the location in the phrases
above aren't really "prepositions." They are called "nouns of
locality," or 方位词 (fāngwèicí) in Chinese. They actually tend to
have several forms, which can be confusing if you're not used to
them. The chart below shows their most common forms:</p>
<table class="table big-text table-striped table-bordered">
<tr>
<th width="15%" data-pdf-width="30%">
<p>One-Character</p>
</th>
<th width="25%" data-pdf-width="45%">
<p>Two-Character</p>
</th>
<th width="17%" data-pdf-width="25%">
<p>English</p>
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>上<span class="pinyin">shàng</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>上面 / 上边<span class="pinyin">shàngmiàn / shàngbian</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>top, above</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>下<span class="pinyin">xià</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>下面 / 下边<span class="pinyin">xiàmiàn / xiàbian</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>bottom, under</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>里<span class="pinyin">lǐ</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>里面 / 里边<span class="pinyin">lǐmiàn / lǐbian</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>inside</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>外<span class="pinyin">wài</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>外面 / 外边<span class="pinyin">wàimiàn / wàibian</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>outside</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>边<span class="pinyin">biān</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>旁边<span class="pinyin">pángbiān</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>side, beside</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>前<span class="pinyin">qián</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>前面 / 前边<span class="pinyin">qiánmiàn / qiánbian</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>front</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>后<span class="pinyin">hòu</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>后面 / 后边<span class="pinyin">hòumiàn / hòubian</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>back, behind</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>左<span class="pinyin">zuǒ</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>左边<span class="pinyin">zuǒbian</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>left</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>右<span class="pinyin">yòu</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>右边<span class="pinyin">yòubian</span></p>
</td>
<td>
<p>right</p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<h2 id="abstract-uses">Abstract Uses</h2>
<p>Some prepositions can be paired with more abstract concepts to
form idiomatic phrases. These kinds of phrases can really make your
Chinese sound polished. Later on you will learn about these
<a href="idiomatic_phrases_with_&quot;zai&quot;" title=
"wikilink">idiomatic phrases with "zai"</a>.</p>
<h2 id="see-also">See Also</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="Indicating_location_with_&quot;zai&quot;_before_verbs"
title="wikilink">Indicating location with "zai" before
verbs</a></li>
<li><a href="Special_cases_of_&quot;zai&quot;_following_verbs"
title="wikilink">Special cases of "zai" following verbs</a></li>
<li><a href="Expressing_existence_in_a_place_with_&quot;zai&quot;"
title="wikilink">Expressing existence in a place with
"zai"</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and Further
Reading</h2>
<h3 id="books">Books</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1_(3rd_ed)" title=
"wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)</a> (p.
128) <a href=
"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=0887276385">
→buy</a></li>
<li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_1" title=
"wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1</a> (p. 191)
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276792/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=0887276792">
→buy</a></li>
<li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_2" title=
"wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2</a> (pp. 264,
325)<a href=
"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276881/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0887276881">→buy</a></li>
<li><a href=
"New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_4_(%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%9E%E7%94%A8%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%BE%E6%9C%AC4)"
title="wikilink">New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)</a> (pp.
40-1, 164-5, 185) <a href=
"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561913192/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=7561913192">
→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="Category:A2_grammar_points" title=
"wikilink">Category:A2 grammar points</a> <a href="Category:Table"
class="uri" title="wikilink">Category:Table</a></p>
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