Library · Introduction to Chinese grammar
6 When, where and with whom
What you'll learn How to say when, where and with whom something happens: all before the verb.
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6.1 When comes before the verb
Words for when something happens, such as 今天, 明天 and 现在現在, go before the verb: after the subject, or before it at the start. Never at the end, where English often puts them.
我今天去学校。我今天去學校。
I'm going to school today.
明天我们喝茶。明天我們喝茶。
Tomorrow we'll have tea.
李月晚上看书。李月晚上看書。
Li Yue reads in the evening.
✗我去学校今天。我去學校今天。
I'm going to school today.
A time of day goes there too. With a day and a time, the day comes first: the bigger before the smaller.
我早上七点起床。我早上七點起床。
I get up at seven in the morning.
星期六下午我们去看电影。星期六下午我們去看電影。
On Saturday afternoon we're going to see a film.
6.2 Where, with 在, comes before it too
Where something happens goes before the verb as well. 在 comes first, then the place: 在家, at home; 在学校在學校, at school.
我在家喝茶。
I drink tea at home.
王明在医院工作。王明在醫院工作。
Wang Ming works at a hospital.
我们在饭店吃晚饭。我們在飯店吃晚飯。
We're having dinner at a restaurant.
✗我喝茶在家。
I drink tea at home.
With no other verb, 在 and a place say where someone is.
张老师现在不在学校。張老師現在不在學校。
Teacher Zhang isn't at school right now.
When and where together: when first.
我今天在家看书。我今天在家看書。
I'm reading at home today.
大卫星期天在家做饭。大衛星期天在家做飯。
David's cooking at home on Sunday.
6.3 With someone: 和
和 and a person, before the verb, says who someone does something with. 一起, together, often follows, just before the verb.
我和王明一起吃午饭。我和王明一起吃午飯。
I have lunch with Wang Ming.
李月和妈妈一起去商店。李月和媽媽一起去商店。
Li Yue is going to the shop with her mum.
English puts with Wang Ming at the end. Chinese puts it before the verb, as it does when and where.
✗我吃午饭和王明。我吃午飯和王明。
I have lunch with Wang Ming.
When goes before it.
星期天我和朋友一起去看电影。星期天我和朋友一起去看電影。
On Sunday I'm going to see a film with friends.
你想和我们一起去吗？你想和我們一起去嗎？
Would you like to come with us?
王明想和你说话。王明想和你說話。
Wang Ming would like a word with you.
Between two people or things, 和 says and: 王明和李月, Wang Ming and Li Yue.
9 And, also, all, again, 7.7 Verbs with their object built in
6.4 To someone: 对對
对對 and a person, before the verb, says who something is said to.
王明对李月说：“明天见！”王明對李月說：“明天見！”
Wang Ming said to Li Yue, “See you tomorrow!”
大卫对张老师说：“对不起。”大衛對張老師說：“對不起。”
David said sorry to Teacher Zhang.
With 好 after it, it says who someone is good to.
张老师对学生很好。張老師對學生很好。
Teacher Zhang is good to her students.
你对我太好了。你對我太好了。
You're so good to me.
李月对小白非常好。李月對小白非常好。
Li Yue is really good to Xiao Bai.
✗张老师很好对学生。張老師很好對學生。
Teacher Zhang is good to her students.
On its own, 对對 is right, that's so: 对，我是学生對，我是學生, yes, I'm a student.