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在 + Place + 上 / 下 / 里 / 旁边 (location)
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Where did I put it?
- You can't find your keys and your roommate helps you look.
- key钥匙is在the table桌子(on)上，cell phone手机is在to cover包li, ancient measure of…里。 — "The keys are on the table, and the phone is in the bag."
is在 + place + (on)上 / under下 / li, ancient measure of…里 / side旁边
- is在 + noun + location word = on / under / in / beside: is在the table桌子(on)上, is在the bed床under下, is在to cover包li, ancient measure of…里, is在gate门side旁边.
- Most ordinary nouns need the location word: is在the table桌子(on)上, not is在the table桌子.
the cat猫is在the bed床under下。
Complete: “The phone is in the bag.” 手机在包____。
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在 + noun + 里 = in.
Doing something somewhere
- Before a verb: he / him他is在library图书馆li, ancient measure of…里to read看书。 — "He's reading in the library."
- After a verb: (把: marks the object)把the book书put放is在the table桌子(on)上。 — "Put the book on the table."
把the book书put放on在the table桌子(on)上。
Build: “Put the book on the table.”
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Verb + 在 + noun + 上.
When to drop the location word
- Ordinary objects need it: is在schoolbag书包li, ancient measure of…里, not is在schoolbag书包.
- Place names and places that are already locations do not: is在Beijing, capital of the…北京, is在school学校, not is在Beijing, capital of the…北京li, ancient measure of…里.
Which is correct?
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Place names take no location word.
(on)上 / li, ancient measure of…里 / to hit (the mark)中 for abstract places
- is在television电视(on)上 / is在the internet网上 = on TV / online; is在newspaper报纸(on)上 = in the newspaper.
- is在chest心里 = in one's heart; is在to live生活to hit (the mark)中 = in life. Fixed phrases are worth learning as chunks.
I我on在the internet网上bought买的。
在网上 means “online”.
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It is a fixed abstract location.
Recap
- is在 + noun + (on)上/under下/li, ancient measure of…里/side旁边 = on/under/in/beside; ordinary nouns need the location word.
- Place names do not (is在Beijing, capital of the…北京). Fixed phrases: is在the internet网上, is在newspaper报纸(on)上, is在to live生活to hit (the mark)中.
Read the full reference: HSK 4 grammar — Sentence patterns.
You can't find your keys and your roommate helps you look. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.