Level 1 · Beginner
Location with 在
Subj. + 在 + Place (+ Verb)
在 (zài) means "to be at": 我在家 "I'm at home". No extra verb is needed — 在 IS the verb.
To say you do something AT a place, the 在-phrase goes BEFORE the verb: 我在北京工作 "I work in Beijing" — literally "I at Beijing work". Putting the place after the verb, English-style, is one of the most common beginner mistakes.
Examples
我在家。
wǒ zài jiā
I'm at home.
他在学校。
他在學校。
tā zài xué xiào
He's at school.
我妈妈在北京工作。
我媽媽在北京工作。
wǒ mā ma zài běi jīng gōng zuò
My mom works in Beijing.
你在哪里？
你在哪裏？
nǐ zài nǎ lǐ
Where are you?
Common mistakes
✗ 我工作在北京。
✓ 我在北京工作。
The 在 + place phrase comes before the verb, not after it.
Related grammar points
See it in a story
Read this pattern in context: The Sailor's Advice — free graded stories with tap-to-reveal pinyin and translations.
