en
cs
da
de
it
plCommon errors
Incorrect Word Order
The location word usually comes after the noun it modifies. Learners often put it before the noun, following English word order (like “on the table”). The correct Chinese order is “noun + location word”, not the other way around.
*书在上面的桌子。
书在桌子的上面。
*老师在前面的图书馆。
老师在图书馆的前面。
*書在上面的桌子。
書在桌子的上面。
*老師在前面的圖書館。
老師在圖書館的前面。
Using 里/裡 after nouns referring to a nation or a city
The word 里/裡 is not used after countries or cities.
*中国里有很多大学。
中国有很多大学。
*我的学校不在北京里。
我的学校不在北京。
*中國里有很多大學。
中國有很多大學。
*我的學校不在北京里。
我的學校不在北京。
Confusion between 上边/上邊 and 上
When 上边/上邊 is placed after a noun, it refers to a concrete spatial location. In contrast, when 上 is placed after a noun, it often has a more abstract meaning, referring to the things included within the semantic scope of the noun. This may confuse learners.
*电视上边的那个人是我的朋友。
电视上的那个人是我的朋友。
*你看不看网上边的新闻？
你看不看网上的新闻？
電視上邊的那個人是我的朋友。
電視上的那個人是我的朋友。
*你看不看網上邊的新聞？
你看不看網上的新聞？
Errors caused by native transfer
(CS/DK/DE/IT/PL)
Classroom activity
The teacher prepares a card with several objects drawn on it, such as a table, a chair, a box, a classroom, and a person.
Each student receives one card and draws a ball somewhere on it. Then, students work in pairs or groups to ask and answer questions about the ball’s location. For example:
Student 1: 你的球在桌子的下面吗？
Student 1: 你的球在桌子的下面嗎？
Student 2: 不在桌子的下面。你的球在教室前边吗？
Student 2: 不在桌子的下面。你的球在教室前邊嗎？
Student 1: 不在教室前边。你的球在…吗？
Student 1: 不在教室前邊。你的球在…嗎？
When both students guess the correct location, they can draw a new object and continue the activity.