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Level Foundations · HSK 1

在 and Position Words: Where Things Are and Where Things Happen

English says "I work at a bank", with the place at the end. Chinese says 我在银行工作, "I at bank work": the place comes before the action. This is one of the biggest word-order differences between the two languages, and getting it right instantly makes you sound more natural.

The other thing to know is that "on", "in" and "under" come after the noun in Chinese, not before it: 桌子上 is "table on".

在 as a verb: to be at

Person or thing + 在 + place says where it is. Negate with 不在. Ask with 在哪儿.

  • 我在家。

    Wǒ zài jiā.

    I'm at home.

  • 老师在哪儿？

    Lǎoshī zài nǎr?

    Where's the teacher?

  • 他不在。

    Tā bú zài.

    He isn't here.

在 + place + verb

When something happens somewhere, the place goes before the verb. The one common exception is 住 (to live), which can also take the place after it: 我住在北京 or 我在北京住.

  • 我在银行工作。

    Wǒ zài yínháng gōngzuò.

    I work at a bank.

  • 我们在家吃饭。

    Wǒmen zài jiā chī fàn.

    We eat at home.

  • 他住在上海。

    Tā zhù zài Shànghǎi.

    He lives in Shanghai.

Position words after the noun

On, under, in and next to are words that follow the noun. The short forms 上, 下 and 里 attach directly and are said with a neutral tone: 桌子上 (on the table), 包里 (in the bag). The longer -边 and -面 forms can also stand alone: 旁边 (next to it), 前面 (in front).

An ordinary object needs a position word to become a place: 书在桌子上, not 书在桌子. Countries and cities are already places and never take 里: 在中国.

ShortLonger formsMeaning
上上边 / 上面on, above
下下边 / 下面under, below
里里边 / 里面in, inside
外边 / 外面outside
前边 / 前面in front
后边 / 后面behind
左边 / 右边left / right
旁边, 中间next to, in the middle

  • 手机在包里。

    Shǒujī zài bāo li.

    The phone is in the bag.

  • 超市在银行旁边。

    Chāoshì zài yínháng pángbiān.

    The supermarket is next to the bank.

  • 我家在学校后面。

    Wǒ jiā zài xuéxiào hòumiàn.

    My home is behind the school.

  • 洗手间在左边。

    Xǐshǒujiān zài zuǒbian.

    The toilet is on the left.

Common mistakes

  • ✗我工作在银行。

    ✓我在银行工作。

    Wǒ zài yínháng gōngzuò.

    Where an action happens goes before the verb.

  • ✗书在桌子。

    ✓书在桌子上。

    Shū zài zhuōzi shang.

    An object isn't a place by itself. Add a position word: on the table, in the bag.

  • ✗我在中国里。

    ✓我在中国。

    Wǒ zài Zhōngguó.

    Countries and cities are already places, so they don't take 里.

Questions learners ask

Is there a difference between 前边 and 前面?

No. -边 (bian) and -面 (miàn) forms mean the same; -边 is a little more colloquial. 里边 and 里面, 外边 and 外面 work the same way.

Can 在 mean "in the middle of doing"?

Yes, at A2: 我在吃饭 means "I'm eating (right now)". That's 在 before a verb with no place. See the A2 guide on actions in progress.

Practice this in lessons

The Foundations lessons teach this step by step, with exercises and review built in.

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