Free Chinese Online Course – Grammar – 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?
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.
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.
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
你从哪里来？
<Nǐ cóng nǎli lái?>
You from where to come?
WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?
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.
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.
After you are finished, TEST YOURSELF!