Position words: 上, 下, 里, 前, 后, 左, 右… (+ 边)
【一01】方位名词
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
In English you say “on the table” (the preposition comes first). In Chinese, the position word comes after the noun: 桌子上 (“table-top”), 书包里 (“bag-inside”).
Simple words: 上 (on), 下 (under), 里 (in), 外 (outside), 前 (front), 后 (back), 左 (left), 右 (right), 东 南 西 北 (east, south, west, north).
With 边 (bian), they become standalone nouns: 上边, 里边, 前边, 左边, 东边… Use them alone (前边有一个商店) or after a noun, often with 的: 饭店的前边, 图书馆的北边.
旁边 (pángbiān) = next to; 中间 = in the middle.
With 在 you get the location sentence: 书在桌子上.
Examples
书在桌子上。
Shū zài zhuōzi shang.The book is on the table.
房间里没有人。
Fángjiān li méiyǒu rén.There's nobody in the room.
他去东边的车站。
Tā qù dōngbian de chēzhàn.He's going to the station on the east side.
商店在饭店的前边。
Shāngdiàn zài fàndiàn de qiánbian.The shop is in front of the restaurant.
洗手间在左边。
Xǐshǒujiān zài zuǒbian.The restroom is on the left.
Common mistakes
✗ 在上桌子 → ✓ 在桌子上 (position word after the noun).
✗ 书在桌子 → ✓ 书在桌子上 (an object needs a position word to become a place).
✗ 在中国里 → ✓ 在中国.