🤓 What You’ll Learn
✔️ Use 在 (zài) to say where someone or something is
✔️ Ask “Where is it?” in natural Chinese
✔️ Expand with position words like 上面, 后面, 对面
✔️ Understand real-life responses like 他(不)在
✔️ Master foundational location expressions in daily life
✨ Let’s Begin
Today’s focus is the verb 在 (zài) — used to show where something or someone is.
📍在 (zài) = to be at / located at
It works like this:
👉 Subject + 在 + Place
👉 Subject + 在 + Place + Position
We’ll learn how to ask “Where is it?”, how to answer, how to describe exact positions, and Even how to express whether someone is present or not — like in the case of 他不在 (“He’s not here”).
Let’s break it down together. 😊
📌Pattern 1
Subject + 在 + Place
This is the simplest way to say where someone or something is in Chinese.
Just take the person or object, add 在 (zài), and then say the place.
It’s like saying:
“A is at B.”
You don’t need any extra words — it’s short, clear, and used all the time in daily life. 😊
💬How It’s Used
👩🏻请问一下，地铁站在哪儿？
qǐngwèn yíxià, dìtiězhàn zài nǎr
→ Excuse me, where is the subway station?
👨🏻地铁站在那儿。
dìtiězhàn zài nàr
→ The subway station is over there.
👩🏻你在哪儿？
nǐ zài nǎr
→ Where are you?
👨🏻我在办公室。
wǒ zài bàngōngshì
→ I’m in the office.
👩🏻他现在在哪儿？
tā xiànzài zài nǎr
→ Where is he now?
🧔🏻♂️他现在在美国。
tā xiànzài zài Měiguó
→ He is in the United States now.
📝Vocabulary List
在 (zài) at / in / on
地铁站 (dìtiězhàn) subway station
办公室 (bàngōngshì) office
现在 (xiànzài) now
美国 (Měiguó) United States
🎯Pro Tip
Sometimes, we don’t say where someone is — we just want to know whether they’re here or not. This is very common in daily life.
In these cases, we still use the word 在 (zài), but without any object or location.
- Subject + 在
- Subject + 不在
Examples:
👨🏻李老师在吗？
Lǐ lǎoshī zài ma?
→ Is Teacher Li here?
👩🏻他不在。
tā bú zài
→ He’s not here.
📌Pattern 2
Subject + 在 + Place + Position
Say exactly where something is using position words.
Now that you can say where something is,
let’s go one step further and say exactly where — like on top of, next to, or inside something.
To do that, we use 位置词 (position words) after the place.
👉 Subject + 在 + Place + Position
👩🏻我在超市里面。
wǒ zài chāoshì lǐmian
→ I’m inside the supermarket.
👨🏻我在你后面。
wǒ zài nǐ hòumian
→ I’m behind you.
👨🏻我在公司附近。
wǒ zài gōngsī fùjìn
→ I’m near the company.
👩🏻我在餐厅外面。
wǒ zài cāntīng wàimian
→ I’m outside the restaurant.
👧🏻书在电脑旁边。
shū zài diànnǎo pángbiān
→ The book is next to the computer.
👨🏻杯子在桌子上面。
bēizi zài zhuōzi shàngmian
→ The cup is on top of the table.
👧🏻手机在你的包里面。
shǒujī zài nǐ de bāo lǐmian
→ The phone is inside your bag.
📝Vocabulary List
超市 (chāoshì) supermarket
里面 (lǐmian) inside
后面 (hòumian) behind
公司 (gōngsī) company
附近 (fùjìn) nearby
餐厅 (cāntīng) restaurant
外面 (wàimian) outside
书 (shū) book
电脑 (diànnǎo) computer
旁边 (pángbiān) next to
杯子 (bēizi) cup
桌子 (zhuōzi) table
上面 (shàngmian) on top
手机 (shǒujī) phone
你的 (nǐ de) your
包 (bāo) bag
📦 Must-Know
Position Words
里面 (lǐmian) inside
外面 (wàimian) outside
上面 (shàngmian) on top
下面 (xiàmian) under
前面 (qiánmian) in front
后面 (hòumian) behind
对面 (duìmiàn) across from
中间 (zhōngjiān) in the middle
左边 (zuǒbiān) left side
右边 (yòubiān) right side
旁边 (pángbiān) next to
附近 (fùjìn) nearby
🎓Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned how to describe where someone or something is using the verb 在 (zài).
You also practiced how to be more specific with position words like “inside,” “behind,” and “next to.”
🧾 Sentence pattern:
👉 Subject + 在 + Place
👉 Subject + 在 + Place + Position
You’re doing great! Every step takes you closer to fluency.
See you in the next lesson! 加油! 🌟
