Chinese Grammar: Part 2: Using 在 to talk about location

You’ve seen how 在 was useful to talk about where you or an object was, and where a verb was taking place. There’s a lot more you can express with 在, and that is what we’re going to see now.

Missed part 1? Read it here

Expressing where something is in relation to another object

Imagine you want to say something is on the table or is under a chair, you know 在 is an excellent candidate to express that, but how do you specify where exactly is the object? You need to add a little location word to go with it!

You start by indicating where the object is, in general, and then you explain where it is exactly. In English, we say "on the table", in Chinese, the order is " table, on".

Structure

Subject + 在 + Location + location word (上 ; 下; 里; 旁边...)

Examples

Inside with 里
The Chinese often like to use 在 with “里(lǐ, inside)”, to express where something is.

香蕉 在 书包 里。
The banana is in the bookbag.

不 要 在 这里 抽烟。
Don’t smoke (in) here.

On with 上

苹果 在 桌子 上。
The apple is on the desk.

你 在 火车 上。
You're in the train. (literally, "on" the train)

Under with 下

我 的 报纸 怎么 在 桌子 下？
Why is my newspaper under the table?

When 在 follows the verbs

在 is usually used directly after a subject to locate something, but on some rare occasions, it follows the verb. When 在 is paired with specific verbs, such as:

• 坐 (zuò - to sit),
  
• 住 (zhù - to live),
• 站 (zhàn - to stand),
• or 放 (fàng - to place),
  在 is then exceptionally placed directly after the verb.

These verbs are all related to position, placement or movement so in these cases 在 is used to further explain where these verbs are taking place. To live in; to stand on; to place on; to siton...

Structure

Subject + Particular verb + 在 + Location

Examples

他坐 在椅子 上。
He’s sitting on a chair.

我住 在四川。
I live in Sichuan.

老师站 在门口。
The teacher is standing at the door.

书放 在桌子 上 了。
The book is on the table.

These are the main verbs which cause 在 to follow the verb. There are other verbs that nearly always follow this same exceptional rule, as you'll realize when you come across them.

Keep in mind that these verbs that cause 在 to follow them are an exception - you’ll learn to use them as you go and encounter them. The main rule to remember with 在 is that it expresses a location and is usually placed right after the subject.