在 means “to be at” or “to be in.” This page covers using 在 to say WHERE someone is, and — the more common use — WHERE an activity happens, plus how to negate it and ask about it.
一 Subject + 在 + Location
The simplest use — just saying where someone or something is.
Subject + 在 + Location
我在家
I am at home.
老師老师在美國美国
The teacher is in the U.S.
圖書館图书馆在學校学校的3樓楼
The library is located on the 3rd floor of the school.
二 Subject + 在 + Location + Verb Phrase
The more common use — saying WHERE something happens, by adding a verb phrase after the location.
Subject + 在 + Location + Verb Phrase
我在家聽听音樂音乐
I listen to music at home.
老師老师在美國美国教中文
The teacher teaches Chinese in the U.S.
我在廁所卫生间做蛋糕！
I’m making cakes in the bathroom!
That last one is a joke phrase people actually use — it’s a polite, funny way of saying “I’m pooping.”
三 Negation: 不 vs 沒没
Both 不 (bù) and 沒没 (méi) can negate 在, but they’re used differently. Use 不 for someone’s usual state or where they are right now. Use 沒没 for a fact that already happened in the past — since a past fact is fixed and can’t change, it feels more like stating an objective fact. If you’re asking where someone is at this moment, 不 is almost always the one you want.
他不在公司
He is not at the company.
他去年沒没在中國中国學学中文
He did not study Chinese in China last year.
哥哥不在電影院电影院看電影电影
My older brother is not watching movies at the cinema (right now).
哥哥沒没在電影院电影院看電影电影
My older brother did not watch movies at the cinema (that time).
四 Asking Questions
There are three ways to turn this into a question.
Using 嗎吗 (yes/no question)
她在Apple上班嗎吗？
Does she work at Apple?
李大明常常在學校学校打人嗎吗？
Does Daming Li often hit people at school?
Using 哪 (asking which place)
她在哪上班？
Where does she work?
你今天在哪吃飯吃饭？
Where are you eating today?
Using 在不在 (verb-not-verb question)
她在不在Apple上班？
Does she work at Apple?
我先生在不在你家？
Is my husband at your place?
五 Common Mistakes
❌ 他今天沒没在家
✅ 他今天不在家
Talking about where someone IS right now is a current state, not a completed past fact — that calls for 不, not 沒没.
❌ 她哪在上班？
✅ 她在哪上班？
哪 goes right after 在, not before it.
❌ 她在Apple不在上班？
✅ 她在不在Apple上班？
在不在 has to stay together right after the subject — you can’t split it apart around the location.
六 Picture Practice
Click each picture to see the answer.
Tap to reveal
她在學校学校丟垃圾垃圾
She’s throwing away trash at school.
Tap to reveal
他在便利商店喝咖啡
He’s drinking coffee at the convenience store.
Tap to reveal
她在家裡里跳舞
She’s dancing at home.
Tap to reveal
她在浴室吃飯吃饭
She’s eating in the bathroom.
七 Practice
Pick the correctly ordered sentence.
Question 1 of 10
“The hospital is on the 5th floor.”
在 comes right after the subject, before the location — not tacked on at the end.
“My sister is in Canada.”
在 goes before the location 加拿大, not after it.
“I read books at the library.”
在 + location has to come before the verb phrase, not after it.
“She cooks dinner at home.”
在家 has to come before the verb 做晚飯饭, not after it.
“He is not at school right now.”
This is about where he IS right now — a current state — so 不 is right, not 沒没.
“He didn’t work at that company last year.”
This is a fact about last year — already happened and can’t change — so 沒没 is right, not 不.
“Is she sleeping in her room?”
在 has to come right before the location 房間房间, not after it.
“Where do you study?”
哪 goes right after 在, not before it.
“Is dad exercising in the park?”
在不在 stays together right after the subject — it can’t be split apart around the location.
“Is the dog running in the yard?”
在不在 stays together right after the subject 狗, not split around the location.
