Questions tagged [preposition]

For questions about Chinese prepositions, some times also called coverbs, e.g. 在,往,对, etc.

Prepositions (介词) are words that precede other nouns and express their location in space or time.

Chinese prepositions often introduce complements of location, direction, time, etc. Some common ones are 在,往,向,对,从,给,etc.

According to some interpretations (among which Wikipedia), coverbs, which appear in constructions with verbs in series, also have prepositional functions.

Feel free to use this tag either when referring to prepositions or coverbs, or also when asking about how to render a specific preposition or prepositional phrase in Chinese.

42 questions
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碗掉地下,Why not 地上?

Pleco has the example: 碗掉地下就碎了。 Why not 地上? I have been corrected many times for similar sentences, with the explanation that 地下 means „subterranean“?
Ludi
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The grammatical construction of 比较有名的开始

In the following sentence (from http://www.xineurope.com/thread-1371549-1-1.html): 最近正在找语言学校,发现好多人也在找,正好把信息整理出来,欢迎补充 比较有名的开始 In the last sentence, the meaning is clear from the context, which means “starting from relatively famous…
Blaszard
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Can 去 be used as a 介词(Preposition)?

I don't think 去 in the example below is necessary since 走 already implies, "go", unless the 去 in used as a 介词(preposition). 去故宫(我)怎么走? How should I go to 故宫? I also do not think that that sentence is verb-serialized(去+走). Should it be just…
Dean Seo
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Can 之间 be equivalent to 之内 in some contexts?

I am struggling with a sentence that I am trying to translate: 很多的发展过去是在一个行业之间的,我们觉得互联网金融的时代更多机会是在跨业的。 How would you translate the opposition between 一个行业之间 and 在跨业 in this context? It would seem obvious to me that the meaning is something like…
jimsalsa
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As 閣下 = at the foot of the pavilion, why not 閣上 for Your Excellency?

ZDIC defines as "楼阁之下"。 Wiktionary (archaic) at the foot of a tower or pavilion. Usage notes Originally a term of respect toward members of the nobility; became a more generic term of respect later on. But isn't 閣下 the wrong way? It's the…
user11787