Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

basic functions of prepositions

14.2

note

the preposition is part of the following fixed expressions:

跟 (someone) 开玩笑

跟 (someone) 開玩笑

gbn (someone) kai wánxiào

to play a joke on (someone)

他哥哥喜欢跟他开玩笑。

他哥哥喜歡跟他開玩笑。

Ta gbge xhhuan gbn ta kai wánxiào.

His older brother likes to play jokes on him.

对 (something) 有兴趣

對 (something) 有興趣

duì (something) yiu xìngqù

to be interested in (something)

我对科学有兴趣。

我對科學有興趣。

wi duì kbxué yiu xìngqù.

I am interested in science.

14.2.8 Prepositions used in formal speech and formal written language

To indicate beneficiary or recipient

为/為 wèi ‘for/on behalf of ’

我们应该为人民服务。

我們應該為人民服務。

Wǒmen yīnggāi wèi rénmín fúwù.

We should serve the people.

(serve for the people)

To indicate the source (no movement)

由 yóu ‘from’

由此可见，人民都喜欢自由。

由此可見，人民都喜歡自由。

Yóu cǐ kě jiàn, rénmín dōu xǐhuan zìyóu.

You can see from this that everyone likes freedom.

To indicate location in time or space

于/於 yú ‘at, in, on’

谨定于三月十五日在人民大会堂开会。

謹定於三月十五日在人民大會堂開會。

Jǐndìng yú sānyuè shíwǔ rì zài rénmín dàhuìtáng kāi huì.

The meeting is respectfully set at March 15 in the Great Hall of the People.

To indicate a point in time (no movement)

自从/自從 zìcóng ‘from, (ever) since’

自从中国开放以后，人民的生活水平提高了。

自從中國開放以後，人民的生活水平提高了。

Zìcóng Zhōngguó kāifàng yǐhòu, rénmín de shēnghuó shuǐpíng tígāo le.

(^) Ever since China began to open up, the standard of living of its people has improved.