Expressing locations in Chinese

Posted on by tiffany

OneDotDot Chinese
Grammar · HSK 1
Grammar Point · HSK 1

在 zài + 方位詞 fāngwèicí

Chinese expresses location by pairing the preposition 在 zài with a locative word — a small set of position terms that do a lot of work.

Expressing locations in Chinese

The good news: once you know the ten locative words below, you can describe almost any position by combining them with 在 zài. One exception to remember — when the location is a country or city name, the locative word is dropped entirely.

1 方位詞 fāngwèicí — locative words

HanziPinyinMeaning
上shàngup, top, above
下xiàdown, bottom, under
里lǐin
外wàiout
前qiánfront
后hòuback, behind
左zuǒleft
右yòuright
旁pángbeside
中间zhōngjiānin between

Every word above can combine with 边 biān (side) or 面 miàn (side) to point in a direction — “upside,” “left side,” “inside,” and so on. 左 zuǒ, 右 yòu, and 旁 páng only combine with 边 biān, never 面 miàn.

+ 面 mian+ 边 bianMeaning
上 shàng上面 shàngmian上边 shàngbianUp side
下 xià下面 xiàmian下边 xiàbianDown side
里 lǐ里面 lǐmian里边 lǐbianInside
外 wài外面 wàimian外边 wàibianOutside
前 qián前面 qiánmian前边 qiánbianFront side
后 hòu后面 hòumian后边 hòubianBack side
左 zuǒ✕左边 zuǒbianLeft side
右 yòu✕右边 yòubianRight side
旁 páng✕旁边 pángbianBeside
中间 zhōngjiān✕✕In between

2 Structure

There are two ways to express location — one more conversational, the other more formal. Note that when the location is a country or city name, like Taiwan or New York, the locative word is dropped entirely.

S + 在 zài + location + locative word

书shū在zài桌子zhuōzi上shàng
The books are on the table.
我wǒ的de手机shǒujī不bú在zài包bāo里lǐ
My phone is not in the bag.
妈妈māma的de伞sǎn在zài不bú在zài门mén外wài？
Is mom’s umbrella outside the door?
小猫xiǎomāo在zài我wǒ头tóu上shàng睡觉shuìjiào，小狗xiǎogǒu在zài我wǒ脚jiǎo旁páng睡觉shuìjiào，我wǒ先生xiānsheng在zài地dì上shàng睡觉shuìjiào
The kitten sleeps above my head, the dog sleeps beside my feet, and my husband sleeps on the floor.
❌ 我wǒ在zài台湾Táiwān里lǐ
✅ 我wǒ在zài台湾Táiwān
Both mean “I am in Taiwan” — but when the location noun is a country or city name, the locative word is dropped entirely.

S + 在 zài + location + 的 de + locative word + 面 miàn / 边 biān

书shū在zài桌子zhuōzi的de上面shàngmian
The book is on the table.
弟弟dìdi在zài你nǐ前面qiánmian吗ma？
Is your younger brother in front of you?
我wǒ家jiā在zài老师lǎoshī家jiā的de左边zuǒbian
My house is on the left side of the teacher’s house.
📌 A subtle difference in emphasis

我家在老师家的左边 wǒ jiā zài lǎoshī jiā de zuǒbiān and 老师家的左边是我家 lǎoshī jiā de zuǒbiān shì wǒ jiā mean the same thing, but stress different things. The first puts the focus on my house — answering “where is your house?” The second puts the focus on the teacher’s house — answering “what’s near the teacher’s house?”

💬 Often omitted

里面 lǐmiàn and 里边 lǐbiān are special cases that are frequently dropped from the sentence.

你nǐ的de衣服yīfu不bú在zài柜子guìzi（的de里边lǐbian）
Your clothes are not in the closet.
爸爸bàba在zài家jiā（里边lǐbian）看kàn电视diànshì
Dad is watching TV at home.

3 Word order changes the meaning

Do you know the difference between 杯子的前面 bēizi de qiánmiàn and 前面的杯子 qiánmiàn de bēizi?

杯子的前面 — the front side of the cup
杯子bēizi的de前面qiánmian
The front side of the cup.
前面的杯子 — the cup in front
前面qiánmian的de杯子bēizi
The cup that’s in front.

4 Putting it into context

Six families live in a three-by-three grid of apartments. Read the sentences below and see if you can place each family correctly.

我wǒ家jiā在zài一楼yīlóu的de右边yòubian，林Lín家jiā在zài三楼sānlóu
My family is on the right side of the first floor; the Lins are on the third floor.
李Lǐ家jiā在zài王Wáng家jiā的de上面shàngmian，马Mǎ家jiā在zài王Wáng家jiā的de下面xiàmian
The Lis are above the Wangs; the Mas are below the Wangs.
王Wáng家jiā在zài谢Xiè家jiā旁边pángbian，陈Chén家jiā在zài马Mǎ家jiā左边zuǒbian
The Wangs are beside the Xies; the Chens are to the left of the Mas.
李Lǐ家jiā在zài林Lín家jiā和hé白Bái家jiā中间zhōngjiān，谢Xiè家jiā在zài林Lín家jiā的de下面xiàmian，在zài陈Chén家jiā的de上面shàngmian
The Lis are between the Lins and the Bais; the Xies are below the Lins and above the Chens.
马Mǎ家jiā在zài陈Chén家jiā和hé我wǒ家jiā中间zhōngjiān，赵Zhào家jiā在zài白Bái家jiā和hé我wǒ家jiā中间zhōngjiān
The Mas are between the Chens and my family; the Zhaos are between the Bais and my family.

Drag each family into the right apartment based on the clues above.

林家Lín jiā
李家Lǐ jiā
白家Bái jiā
谢家Xiè jiā
王家Wáng jiā
赵家Zhào jiā
陈家Chén jiā
马家Mǎ jiā
我家wǒ jiā
Placed: 0 / 9

5 Practice

Translate each sentence into Chinese, then tap the card to check your answer.

01The cat is under the chair.
猫māo在zài椅子yǐzi下面xiàmian。
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02My keys are not on the table.
我wǒ的de钥匙yàoshi不bú在zài桌子zhuōzi上shàng。
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03Is the bathroom inside or outside?
厕所cèsuǒ在zài里面lǐmian还是háishì外面wàimian？
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04I am in Japan right now.
我wǒ现在xiànzài在zài日本Rìběn。
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05The bank is on the right side of the bookstore.
银行yínháng在zài书店shūdiàn的de右边yòubian。
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06Who’s standing in front of you?
谁shéi站zhàn在zài你nǐ前面qiánmian？
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07The dog is sleeping between the sofa and the table.
狗gǒu在zài沙发shāfā和hé桌子zhuōzi中间zhōngjiān睡觉shuìjiào。
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08Where’s the nearest coffee shop?
最zuì近jìn的de咖啡店kāfēidiàn在zài哪儿nǎr？
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09My bedroom is above the kitchen.
我wǒ的de房间fángjiān在zài厨房chúfáng上面shàngmian。
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10What’s that cup on the left?
左边zuǒbian的de那nà个ge杯子bēizi是shì什么shénme？
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Related grammar
→Actions in progress with 在 zài(HSK 1) →Existence in a place with 在 zài(HSK 1)

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