HSK 1 grammar · new HSK syllabus
Location words: 上, 里, 前, 后
Location words come after the noun: 桌子上 on the table, 学校里 in the school.
Structure
- Noun + 上 / 下 / 里 / 外 / 前 / 后
How it works
English puts the position word first (“on the table”); Chinese puts it after the noun: 桌子上, 学校里, 医院后.
Use them with 在 (在桌子上) and with 有 (桌子上有一本书).
Longer forms such as 外边 and 这边 work the same way and can also stand alone: 他在外边.
Examples
-
你的手机在桌子上。
Nǐ de shǒujī zài zhuōzi shàng.
Your phone is on the table.
-
学校里有一个书店。
Xuéxiào lǐ yǒu yí gè shūdiàn.
There’s a bookshop in the school.
-
商店在医院后。
Shāngdiàn zài yīyuàn hòu.
The shop is behind the hospital.
-
猫在椅子下。
Māo zài yǐzi xià.
The cat is under the chair.
-
外边很冷，你多穿衣服。
Wàibian hěn lěng, nǐ duō chuān yīfu.
It’s cold outside, so wear more clothes.
Words in these examples (24)
| 你 | nǐ | you | HSK 1 |
| 的 | de | (particle linking a describer to a noun, like "'s") | HSK 1 |
| 手机 | shǒujī | mobile phone | HSK 1 |
| 在 | zài | to be at; at; in; (before a verb) in the middle of doing | HSK 1 |
| 桌子 | zhuōzi | table; desk | HSK 1 |
| 上 | shàng | up; on; above; to go up; to get on; previous | HSK 1 |
| 学校 | xuéxiào | school | HSK 1 |
| 里 | lǐ | inside; in | HSK 1 |
| 有 | yǒu | to have; there is | HSK 1 |
| 一 | yī | one | HSK 1 |
| 个 | gè | (general measure word) | HSK 1 |
| 书店 | shūdiàn | bookstore | HSK 1 |
| 商店 | shāngdiàn | shop; store | HSK 1 |
| 医院 | yīyuàn | hospital | HSK 1 |
| 后 | hòu | behind; back; after | HSK 1 |
| 猫 | māo | cat | HSK 1 |
| 椅子 | yǐzi | chair | HSK 1 |
| 下 | xià | down; below; to go down; to get off; next | HSK 1 |
| 外边 | wàibian | outside | HSK 1 |
| 很 | hěn | very | HSK 1 |
| 冷 | lěng | cold | HSK 1 |
| 多 | duō | many; much; (in questions) how | HSK 1 |
| 穿 | chuān | to wear; to put on (clothes) | HSK 1 |
| 衣服 | yīfu | clothes | HSK 1 |
Common mistakes
-
✗在上桌子
✓在桌子上
The location word follows the noun.
-
✗我的书在桌子。
✓我的书在桌子上。
Most objects need a location word to become a place.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 书在桌子 。
2. 饭店 有很多人。
3. 他在 等你。