---
title: "Chinese prepositions: 27 Everyday Prepositions by Kind, With Pinyin and Audio"
description: "27 everyday Chinese prepositions by kind (place and direction, time, to, for and with, comparing, passive and 把, about and according to), each with pinyin, meaning and sound, and where they go in a sentence. Keep them in one press or print them as flashcards."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-prepositions"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

Free · 27 prepositions

# Chinese prepositions

The words for where, when, to whom and compared with what, most common first.

[Print as flashcards](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-flashcards?level=mine&words=%E5%9C%A8%20%E4%BB%8E%20%E5%90%91%20%E5%BE%80%20%E7%A6%BB%20%E6%9C%9D%20%E5%88%B0%20%E9%9A%8F%E7%9D%80%20%E8%87%AA%E4%BB%8E%20%E5%92%8C%20%E4%B8%BA%20%E5%AF%B9%20%E7%BB%99%20%E7%94%A8%20%E8%B7%9F%20%E4%B8%BA%E4%BA%86%20%E6%9B%BF%20%E8%A2%AB%20%E6%8A%8A%20%E7%94%B1%20%E6%AF%94%20%E9%80%9A%E8%BF%87%20%E5%AF%B9%E4%BA%8E%20%E6%A0%B9%E6%8D%AE%20%E9%99%A4%E4%BA%86%20%E5%85%B3%E4%BA%8E%20%E6%8C%89%E7%85%A7)

## Place and direction

- [在zài(preposition) at; in; on](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%9C%A8)
- [从cóngfrom](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BB%8E)
- [向xiàngtoward; to](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%90%91)
- [往wǎngtoward; to (a direction)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%BE%80)
- [离líaway from; distant from (as in 离家很远)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%A6%BB)
- [朝cháotoward; facing](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9C%9D)

## Time

- [到dàountil; up to](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%88%B0)
- [随着suízhealong with; as; following](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%9A%8F%E7%9D%80)
- [自从zìcóngsince (a time)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%87%AA%E4%BB%8E)

## To, for and with

- [和héand; with](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%92%8C)
- [为wèifor; on behalf of](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%BA)
- [对duìto; toward](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AF%B9)
- [给gěifor; on behalf of](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%BB%99)
- [用yòngwith; using (用筷子吃 eat with chopsticks)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%94%A8)
- [跟gēnwith; and](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%B7%9F)
- [为了wèilefor; in order to; for the sake of](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%BA%E4%BA%86)
- [替tìfor; on behalf of (as in 替你高兴)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9B%BF)

## Comparing, passive and 把

- [被bèi(used to mark the passive) by](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%A2%AB)
- [把bǎ(used to bring the object before the verb)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%8A%8A)
- [由yóuby (marks who does something)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%94%B1)
- [比bǐthan; compared with](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%AF%94)

## About and according to

- [通过tōngguòby means of; through](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%80%9A%E8%BF%87)
- [对于duìyúregarding; about; concerning; for](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AF%B9%E4%BA%8E)
- [根据gēnjùaccording to; based on](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%A0%B9%E6%8D%AE)
- [除了chúleexcept; besides; apart from](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%99%A4%E4%BA%86)
- [关于guānyúabout; concerning; on; with regard to](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%85%B3%E4%BA%8E)
- [按照ànzhàoaccording to; in accordance with](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%8C%89%E7%85%A7)

## Does Chinese have prepositions?

Yes, though most of them are also verbs (在 is “to be at”, 给 “to give”), so grammars often call them coverbs. The phrase goes before the verb, not after it: 我在家吃饭 (wǒ zài jiā chīfàn, I eat at home), never 我吃饭在家.

## What is the difference between 在, 从 and 到?

在 says where something happens, 从 where it starts and 到 where it ends: 我从北京到上海 (from Beijing to Shanghai). 从…到… works for time too: 从九点到五点 (from nine to five).

## How do 把 and 被 work?

把 brings the object before the verb, for what you do to something: 我把书放在桌子上 (I put the book on the table). 被 marks the passive: 我的手机被偷了 (my phone was stolen).

## More words

- [The 把 sentence](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/ba)
- [Chinese conjunctions](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-conjunctions)
- [Chinese grammar patterns](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar)

Ordered by our own count of Chinese web text (FineWeb-2, ODC-By). Meanings from our own dictionary.