Use prepositions, such as "in," "at," "on," "of," "to," or “toward,” before nouns (e.g., “He sat on the table”) and pronouns (e.g., “I will speak to you soon”) and to describe direction, time, place, location, and spatial relationship, among others. There are many prepositions in Mandarin, and this post covers the commonly used ones!
In this post, we will discuss 在 transcribed zàimeaning in, 从 transcribed cóngmeaning from, 对 transcribed duìmeaning to, 对于 transcribed duìyúmeaning regarding, and 往 transcribed wǎngmeaning toward / 朝 transcribed cháomeaning toward / 向 transcribed xiàngmeaning toward.
We will cover these prepositions as well as the prepositional constructions they are used in.
Interested in the use of prepositional constructions in Mandarin? Dive in and get to know more!
How to use the preposition 在 (zài) in Mandarin Chinese?
Use the preposition 在 transcribed zàimeaning in, at to indicate a point in time or a location. For example:
在 transcribed zài is also used in three common constructions:
在...上 transcribed zài...shàngmeaning on
在...下 transcribed zài...xiàmeaning under
在...中 transcribed zài...zhōngmeaning in
We cover these constructions because they often have both literal and extended meanings. Take 在...上 for example, the literal meaning is “above x.” For example:
The extended meaning is “on the topic of.” For example:
Let’s see all that in the table below:
| 在-construction | Literal meaning | Extended meaning |
|---|---|---|
在...上 transcribed zài...shàng | on 他站在椅子上。 Transcription: Tā zhàn zài yǐzi shàng. Translation: He is standing on the chair. | on the topic of/regarding a certain aspect 我们在生活习惯上有很多不同。 Transcription: Wǒmen zài shēnghuó xíguàn shàng yǒu hěnduō bùtóng. Translation: We have many differences in our living habits. |
在...下 transcribed zài...xià | under 他站在树下。 Transcription: Tā zhàn zài shù xià. Translation: He is standing under the tree. | under/in some conditions 在紧急情况下，我没有时间给你打电话。 Transcription: Zài jǐnjí qíngkuàng xià, wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà. Translation: In an emergency, I don't have time to call you. |
在...中 transcribed zài...zhōng | in, among 她站在花丛中。 Transcription: Tā zhàn zài huācóng zhōng. Translation: She is standing among the flowers. | during a process, within a scope 在他的印象中, 你是一个好学生。 Transcription: Zài tā de yìnxiàng zhōng, nǐ shì yī gè hào xuésheng. Translation: In his impression, you are a good student. |
As shown in the above table, prepositional constructions can be placed at the start of a sentence or inside a sentence. When a prepositional construction is placed at the beginning of the sentence, usually the speaker intends to emphasize the phrase.
There are also some idiomatic usages of 在-construction. For example,
How to use the preposition 从 (cóng) in Mandarin Chinese?
The preposition 从 transcribed cóngmeaning from can be used with a time or a place. For example:
从 transcribed cóng can be used in two constructions:
从...起 transcribed cóng...qǐmeaning from
从...到 transcribed cóng...dàomeaning from…to
从 + time + 起 transcribed cóng...qǐmeaning from indicates a particular time forward.
从...起 can also be replaced by 从...开始 transcribed cóng... kāishǐ:
Another similar prepositional construction is 从 … 以后 transcribed cóng … yǐhòumeaning ever since then, from now on.
If you want to express the idea of “from…to, until,” you’ll use the second construction: 从 + time/place + 到 transcribed cóng...dàomeaning from … to, until (a time).
How to use the prepositions 对 (duì) and 对于 (duìyú) in Mandarin Chinese?
When expressing the meanings of “about” or “regarding,” 对 transcribed duì and 对于 transcribed duìyú are used interchangeably. For example:
While the two prepositions are mostly interchangeable, when expressing the meaning of “to/toward,” we can only use 对 transcribed duì. Additionally, 对 transcribed duì is used more widely than 对于 transcribed duìyú. In the following situations, 对 transcribed duì can be used, but 对于 transcribed duìyú cannot.
When 对 transcribed duì conveys the meaning of “to treat”
他对孩子很好。Transcription: Tā duì háizi hěn hǎo.Translation: He treats children very well.But you cannot say:
X他对于孩子很好。Transcription: Tā duìyú háizi hěn hǎo.When 对 transcribed duì is used after an adverb (e.g. 都 transcribed dōumeaning all in the middle of a sentence
他们都对父母很感恩。Transcription: Tāmen dōu duì fùmǔ hěn gǎn'ēn.Translation: They are all grateful to their parents.But you cannot say:
X他们都对于父母很感恩。Transcription: Tāmen dōu duìyú fùmǔ hěn gǎn'ēn.
The above discussion shows that 对 transcribed duì is more versatile than 对于 transcribed duìyú.
How to use the prepositions 往 (wǎng), 朝 (cháo), and 向 (xiàng) in Mandarin Chinese?
Use the prepositions 往 transcribed wǎng, 朝 transcribed cháo, and 向 transcribed xiàng to convey the meaning of “toward” or “in the direction of.” These three prepositions follow the pattern below:
In the first sentence, three prepositions combine with the directional word 东 transcribed dōngmeaning east and are placed before the verb 走 transcribed zǒumeaning walk. The prepositional phrases here indicate the direction of the action. In the second sentence, the prepositions combine with a place 教室 transcribed jiàoshìmeaning classroom. In the third sentence, the prepositions combine with a person 我 transcribed wǒmeaning me.
While the three prepositions can be used interchangeably, 往 transcribed wǎng, 朝 transcribed cháo, and 向 transcribed xiàng are also different as shown in the following table:
| Preposition | + 着 transcribed zhe ? | After verb? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
往 transcribed wǎngmeaning toward | no | yes | 往前看, 别往后看。 Transcription: Wǎng qián kàn, bié wǎng hòu kàn. Translation: Look forward, don't look back. 飞机开往北京。 Transcription: Fēijī kāi wǎng Běijīng. Translation: The plane is bound for Beijing. In the first sentence, 往 transcribed wǎng is placed before the verb 看 transcribed kànmeaning see. In the second sentence, 往 transcribed wǎng is used after the verb |
朝 transcribed cháomeaning toward | 朝(着) | no | 他朝(着)我笑笑就走了。 Transcription: Tā cháo (zhe) wǒ xiàoxiao jiù zǒu le. Translation: He smiled at me and left. 汽车朝(着)学校的方向开去了。 Transcription: Qìchē cháo (zhe) xuéxiào de fāngxiàng kāi qù le. Translation: The car drove in the direction of the school. 朝 transcribed cháo here is used before the verb only, not after. |
向 transcribed xiàngmeaning toward | 向(着) | yes | 他向(着)飞机场走去。 Transcription: Tā xiàng (zhe) fēijīchǎng zǒu qù. Translation: He walked towards the airport. 孩子跑向妈妈 Transcription: Háizi pǎoxiàng māma. Translation: The child runs to the mother. Only 向 transcribed xiàng can be used after a verb, not |
The above table shows the following differences between these three prepositions:
往 transcribed wǎng doesn’t go with the aspectual particle 着 transcribed zhe, which indicates that something is / was / will be happening, but 朝 transcribed cháo and 向 transcribed xiàng can combine with 着 transcribed zhe. 朝 transcribed cháo and 朝着 transcribed cháozhe mean the same thing and are interchangeable, and the same goes for 向 transcribed xiàng and 向着 transcribed xiàngzhe.
往 transcribed cháo and 向 transcribed xiàng can be positioned before or after the verb, but 朝 transcribed wǎng cannot go after the verb.
For 往 transcribed wǎng, there are certain verbs which tend to go with it:
- 开往 transcribed kāiwǎngmeaning go to
- 飞往 transcribed fēi wǎngmeaning fly to
- 运往 transcribed yùnwǎngmeaning transport to
- 发 transcribed fāwǎngmeaning post to
- 送往 transcribed sòngwǎngmeaning send to
- 寄往 transcribed jìwǎngmeaning mail to
往 transcribed wǎngmeaning toward, 朝 transcribed cháomeaning toward, 向 transcribed xiàngmeaning toward can also be used as a verb, meaning “to face,” “to go” among others. For example:
There are also some idiomatic uses of the prepositions, for example, 往下 means "keep going," 往下写 transcribed wǎngxià xiě means “keep writing,” and 往下说 transcribed wǎngxià shuō means “keep talking.”
To sum up
This post talks about 在 transcribed zài and 从 transcribed cóng. Here is a table that summarizes their uses:
| Translation | Header |
|---|---|
在...上 transcribed zài...shàng | on / on the topic of |
在...下 transcribed zài...xià | under / under some conditions |
在...中 transcribed zài...zhōng | in / within a scope |
从...起 transcribed cóng...qǐ/ 从...开始 transcribed cóng... kāishǐ | from (time) |
从 … 以后 transcribed cóng … yǐhòu | ever since then, from now on |
从...到 transcribed cóng...dào | from…to / until |
We also discussed five other prepositions: 对 transcribed duì, 对于 transcribed duìyú, 往 transcribed wǎng, 朝 transcribed cháo, and 向 transcribed xiàng.
对 is used more widely than 对于, because 对 can go with other phrases where 对于 cannot.
往, 朝, and 向 are interchangeable in some situations, but they differ in other contexts.
朝 and 向 can add 着 to form 朝着 or 向着, but there is no 往着 in Mandarin.
往 and 向can be used before and after a verb, but 朝 can only be used before a verb.
All prepositions (except 对于) can also be used as a verb or an adjective, so these words are versatile and important to master.
Now it is time to practice using prepositional phrases in Mandarin Chinese with our activities!
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