Prepositions

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Prepositions are magical language elements that help us describe what is going on.

Here is a list of the most common ones in Chinese – details below.

After you are finished, TEST YOURSELF!

Prepositions (and what follows) are usually placed in front of a verb.

给 <gěi> TO GIVE sth. to somebody, FOR

VERB:

给你。

<Gěi nǐ.>

To give (to) you.

HERE YOU ARE.

PREPOSITION:

我给她买了很贵的礼物。

<Wǒ gěi tā mǎile hěn guì de lǐwù.>

I for she to buy le a very expensive de present.

I’VE BOUGHT HER A VERY EXPENSIVE PRESENT.

我明天要给你打电话。

<Wǒ míngtiān yào gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.>

I tomorrow yao to you to call.

I WILL CALL YOU TOMORROW.

我明天要打电话给你。

<Wǒ míngtiān yào dǎ diànhuà gěi nǐ.>

(sometimes 给 <gěi> can be placed after the verb.)

I WILL CALL YOU TOMORROW.

你有没有给她说？

<Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu gěi tā shuō?>

You you-meiyou to she to tell?

DID YOU TELL HER? see finished action

你要不要给她说？

<Nǐ yàobuyao gěi tā shuō?>

You yao-buyao to she to tell?

WILL YOU TELL HER?

Play CG-prepositions-1(gei)

对 <duì> FOR, AGAINST

Primar meaning of 对 <duì> is OPPOSITE.

Imagine that you place some phenomenon on your opposite side – you CONFORT yourself with it.

这个对我不好。

<Zhège duì wǒ bù hǎo.>

This for I not (to be) good.

THIS ISN’T GOOD FOR ME.

抽烟对身体不好。

<Chōuyān duì shēntǐ bù hǎo.>

To smoke for body not (to be) good.

SMOKING ISN’T GOOD FOR BODY.

对我来说，星期四最方便。

<Duì wǒ lái shuō, xīngqīsì zuì fāngbiàn.>

For I to come to speak, thursday (to be) most practical.

AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED, THURSDAY IS THE BEST.

Play CG-prepositions-2(dui)

We need to distinguish wheather we have something for somebody (给 <gěi>), or if we describe relation-effect between one thing and another (对 <duì>).

跟 <gēn> WITH

跟我走。

<Gēn wǒ zǒu.>

With I come.

COME WITH ME, FOLLOW ME.

我明天要跟她去吃饭。

<Wǒ míngtiān yào gēn tā qù chīfàn.>

I tomorrow yao with she to go (to) eat.

I WILL GO TO EAT SOMETHING WITH HER TOMORROW.

她跟我一样。

<Tā gēn wǒ yīyàng.>

She with I (to be) the same.

SHE IS THE SAME AS I AM. see comparison

我想跟你谈一件事。

<Wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ tán yī jiàn shì.>

I want with you to discuss one thing.

I WANT TO DISCUSS ONE THING WITH YOU.

Play CG-prepositions-3(gen)

离 <lí> A from B – distance between two places

中国离欧洲很远。

<Zhōngguó lí Ōuzhōu hěn yuǎn.>

China from Europe (to be) far.

CHINA IS FAR FROM EUROPE.

上海离北京多远？

<Shànghǎi lí Běijīng duō yuán?>

Shanghai from Beijing (to be) how far?

HOW FAR IS SHANGHAI FROM BEIJING?

离这里很近有一家很好的饭店。

<Lí zhèli hěn jìn yǒu yījiā hěn hǎo de fàndiàn.>

From here near to exist one hen good de restaurant.

THERE IS ONE VERY GOOD RESTAURANT CLOSE FROM HERE. more in verbs to be

Play CG-prepositions-4(li)

从 <cóng> FROM

你从哪里来？

<Nǐ cóng nǎli lái?>

You from where to come?

WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?

从…到… <cóng…dào…>

FROM… TO… (for both time and space)

从北京到上海坐火车最方便。

<Cóng Běijīng dào Shànghǎi zuò huǒchē zuì fāngbiàn.>

From Beijing to Shanghai to go by train (to be) the most practical.

THE MOST CONVENIENT WAY HOW TO GET FROM SHANGHAI TO BEIJING IS TO TAKE THE TRAIN.

我今天从9点到12点上课。

<Wǒ jīntiān cóng 9 diǎn dào 12 diǎn shàngkè.>

Me today from 9 o’çlock till 12 o’clock to have a class.

TODAY I HAVE A CLASS FROM 9 TILL 12 O’CLOCK.

Play CG-prepositions-5(congdao)

比 <bǐ> A compared to B

中国比日本大。

<Zhōngguó bǐ Rìběn dà.>

China compared to Japan (to be) bigger.

日本茶比中国茶好喝。

<Rìběn chá bǐ Zhōngguó chá hǎohē.>

Japanese tea compared to chinese tea (to be) better (to drink).

我的汉语比他的流利。

<Wǒ de hànyǔ bǐ tāde liúlì.>

My Chinese compared to his (to be) more fluent.

Play CG-prepositions-6(bi)

After you are finished, TEST YOURSELF!