Level 2 · Elementary
On, in, under: 上/下/里/旁边
在 + Noun + 上 / 下 / 里 / 旁边 · Traditional: 在 + Noun + 上 / 下 / 裡 / 旁邊
To say WHERE exactly something is, Chinese adds a little location word AFTER the noun: 桌子上 "on the table", 包里 "in the bag", 床下 "under the bed", 学校旁边 "next to the school". With 在 in front you get a full sentence: 手机在桌子上 "the phone is on the table".
This is the reverse of English, where "on/in/under" come first. Train the order: place noun first, position word second — 桌子上, never 上桌子.
Examples
手机在桌子上。
手機在桌子上。
shǒu jī zài zhuō zi shàng
The phone is on the table.
猫在床下睡觉。
貓在床下睡覺。
māo zài chuáng xià shuì jiào
The cat is sleeping under the bed.
我的钱包在包里。
我的錢包在包裡。
wǒ de qián bāo zài bāo lǐ
My wallet is in the bag.
学校在我家旁边。
學校在我家旁邊。
xué xiào zài wǒ jiā páng biān
The school is next to my home.
Common mistakes
✗ 手机在上桌子。
✓ 手机在桌子上。
The position word comes AFTER the noun — the opposite of English.
Related grammar points
See it in a story
Read this pattern in context: An Evening Alone — free graded stories with tap-to-reveal pinyin and translations.
