Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

Prepositions occur before a noun phrase and indicate some relationship between the noun phrase and the main verb of the sentence. The preposition plus its noun phrase forms a prepositional phrase.

14.1 The grammar of the prepositional phrase in the Mandarin sentence

Rule 1. In Mandarin, the prepositional phrase occurs immediately before the verb phrase.

Compare this with English, in which the prepositional phrase occurs immediately after the verb phrase.

There is one exception to this rule. If the prepositional phrase indicates where the subject is located as a result of the action, the prepositional phrase follows the verb.

Rule 2. Nothing occurs between the preposition and its noun phrase object.

• • The suffixes 了 le, 着/著 zhe, and 过/過 guo follow verbs, but not prepositions:

Say this	Not this
他在中国住过一年。	*他在过中国住一年。
他在中國住過一年。	他在過中國住一年。
Tā zài Zhōngguó zhùguo yīnián.	Tā zàiguo Zhōngguó zhù yīnián.
He lived in China for a year.
我昨天跟他说话了。	*我昨天跟了他说话。
我昨天跟他說話了。	我昨天跟了他說話。
Wǒ zuótiān gēn tā shuō huà le.	Wǒ zuótiān gēn le tā shuō huà.
I spoke with him yesterday.

14.2 Basic functions of prepositions

Here are the most common Mandarin prepositions, arranged according to function. The prepositional phrase is emphasized in each example. The last category includes prepositions that are only used in formal speech and writing.

14.2.1 Prepositions that indicate location in time or space – no movement involved

14.2.2 Prepositions that indicate an action performed toward a reference point – no movement involved

14.2.3 Prepositions that indicate joint performance of an action

14.2.4 Prepositions that indicate movement of the subject

14.2.5 Prepositions that indicate transfer of something from one noun phrase to another

14.3 Prepositions that also function as verbs

	As a preposition	As a verb
在	at	exist; be located at
zài	他在家吃饭。	他在家。
	他在家吃飯。
	*Tā zài* jiā chī fàn.**	*Tā zài* jiā.**
	He eats at home.	He is at home.
给/給	to/for	give
gěi	他给我买了毛衣。	她给我这件毛衣了。
	他給我買了毛衣。	她給我這件毛衣了。
	*Tā gěi* wǒ mǎi le máoyī**.	*Tā gěi* wǒ zhè jiàn máoyī le.**
	He bought a sweater for me.	She gave me this sweater.
到	to	arrive
dào	你什么时候到图书馆去？	他什么时候到？
	你甚麼時候到圖書館去？	他甚麼時候到？
	*Nǐ shénme shíhòu dào* túshūguǎn qù?**	*Tā shénme shíhòu dào?*
	When are you going to the library?	What time does he arrive?
对/對	to, toward	correct
duì	你应该对客人很客气。	Q: 你是英国人，对吗？
	你應該對客人很客氣。	你是英國人，對嗎？
	*Nǐ yīnggāi duì* kèren hěn kèqi.**	Nǐ shì Yīngguórén, duì ma?
	You should be polite to guests.	You are British, right?
		A: 对。
		對。
		Duì.
		Correct.
跟	with	follow
gēn	他每天跟朋友聊天。	不要老跟着我。
		不要老跟著我。
	*Tā měitiān gēn* péngyou liáo tiān.**	*Bù yào lǎo gēnzhe wǒ.*
	He chats with friends every day.	Don’t follow me all the time.

You can identify a word as either a preposition or a verb by observing the other words with which it occurs.

• Prepositions are always followed by an object noun phrase and a verb phrase. If a word is not followed by both an object noun phrase and a verb phrase, it is not a preposition.

Verb: followed by a noun phrase but no verb phrase	Preposition: followed by a noun phrase and a verb phrase
她给我这件毛衣了。	她给我买了这件毛衣了。
她給我這件毛衣了。	她給我買了這件毛衣了。
*Tā gěi* wǒ zhè jiàn máoyī le.**	*Tā gěi* wǒ mǎi le zhè jiàn máoyī le.**
She gave me this sweater.	She bought this sweater for me.
他在家。	他在家吃饭。
	他在家吃飯。
*Tā zài* jiā**.	*Tā zài* jiā chī fàn.**
He is at home.	He is eating at home.

他们	[给弟弟]	[买了冰淇淋]。
他們	[給弟弟]	[買了冰淇淋]。
Tāmen	[gěi dìdi]	[mǎi le bīngqilín].

她	[跟同学]	[聊天]。
她	[跟同學]	[聊天]。
Tā	[gēn tóngxué]	[liáo tiān].

Say this	Not this
请你马上到我家来。	*请你到我家马上来。
請你馬上到我家來。	請你到我家馬上來。
*Qǐng nǐ mǎshàng* dào wǒ jiā lái.**	*Qǐng nǐ dào wǒ jiā mǎshàng* lái.**
Please come to my home immediately.
我一定跟你去看电影。	*我跟你一定去看电影。
我一定跟你去看電影。	我跟你一定去看電影。
*Wǒ yīdìng* gēn nǐ qù kàn diànyǐng.**	*Wǒ gēn nǐ yīdìng* qù kàn diànyǐng.**
I will definitely go with you to see a movie.

14

Prepositions and prepositional phrases