在从到

A1 — 介词

Prepositions 在, 从, and 到 for location and direction

I can express location and direction using 在, 从, and 到

Prepositions 在, 从, and 到 for location and direction

Examples

我在图书馆学习。 — I study at the library.
她从美国来。 — She comes from America.
从九点到五点上班。 — Work from 9 to 5.

介词A1

Prepositions 在/从/到

Prepositions 在, 从, and 到 for location and direction

Learning Goal

I can express location and direction using 在, 从, and 到

Exam Skills:HSK 1 ReadingHSK 1 Speaking

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

我在图书馆学习。

I study at the library.

她从美国来。

She comes from America.

从九点到五点上班。

Work from 9 to 5.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

在、从、到

These three prepositions handle location and direction in Chinese.

Prep	Pinyin	Meaning	Example
在	zài	at / in / on	我在家 (I'm at home)
从	cóng	from	从北京来 (come from Beijing)
到	dào	to / until	到学校去 (go to school)

Key rule: Prepositional phrases go before the verb in Chinese (opposite of English):

我在家吃饭。(I eat at home.) — NOT *我吃饭在家。

我从北京来。(I come from Beijing.)

从...到: 从九点到五点 (from 9 to 5), 从北京到上海 (from Beijing to Shanghai).

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Placing the prepositional phrase after the verb (English word order) instead of before it. Chinese: 我在家吃饭, not *我吃饭在家. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English says 'eat at home' (verb + prep); Chinese says 在家吃 (prep + verb).

Common Error Patterns

Placed prepositional phrase after the verb instead of before

Chinese prepositional phrases go BEFORE the verb: 在家吃饭, not *吃饭在家.

我在图书馆学习。

I study at the library.

在 + place comes BEFORE the verb: 在图书馆 (at the library) + 学习 (study). Not *我学习在图书馆.

她从美国来。

She comes from America.

从 (cóng) = 'from'. The prepositional phrase 从美国 comes before the verb 来 (come).

从九点到五点上班。

Work from 9 to 5.

从...到 (cóng...dào) = 'from...to' for both time and place: 从九点到五点 = from 9 o'clock to 5 o'clock.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course

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Put it into practice

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Frequently asked questions

When is 在从到 used?: These three prepositions handle location and direction in Chinese.
How is 在从到 formed?: Key rule: Prepositional phrases go before the verb in Chinese (opposite of English): 从...到: 从九点到五点 (from 9 to 5), 从北京到上海 (from Beijing to Shanghai).
What are common mistakes with 在从到?: Placing the prepositional phrase after the verb (English word order) instead of before it. Chinese: 我在家吃饭, not *我吃饭在家. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English says 'eat at home' (verb + prep); Chinese says 在家吃 (prep + verb). 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian has flexible order but default is similar to English — Chinese is strictly pre-verbal. 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Czech 'jím doma' (verb first) — Chinese reverses: 在家吃 (location first, then verb).

在、从、到

These three prepositions handle location and direction in Chinese.

Prep

Pinyin

Meaning

Example

在

zài

at / in / on

我在家 (I'm at home)

从

cóng

from

从北京来 (come from Beijing)

到

dào

to / until

到学校去 (go to school)

Key rule: Prepositional phrases go before the verb in Chinese (opposite of English):

我在家吃饭。(I eat at home.) — NOT *我吃饭在家。

我从北京来。(I come from Beijing.)

从...到: 从九点到五点 (from 9 to 5), 从北京到上海 (from Beijing to Shanghai).

Frequently asked questions

When is 在从到 used?

These three prepositions handle location and direction in Chinese.

How is 在从到 formed?

Key rule: Prepositional phrases go before the verb in Chinese (opposite of English): 从...到: 从九点到五点 (from 9 to 5), 从北京到上海 (from Beijing to Shanghai).

What are common mistakes with 在从到?

Placing the prepositional phrase after the verb (English word order) instead of before it. Chinese: 我在家吃饭, not *我吃饭在家. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English says 'eat at home' (verb + prep); Chinese says 在家吃 (prep + verb). 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian has flexible order but default is similar to English — Chinese is strictly pre-verbal. 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Czech 'jím doma' (verb first) — Chinese reverses: 在家吃 (location first, then verb).