PrePOSITIOnS And PrePOSITIOnAL PhrASeS
14.3
14.3 Prepositions that also function as verbs
Many prepositions also function as verbs.
As a preposition As a verb
在
zài
at exist; be located at
他在家吃饭。 他在家。
他在家吃飯。
Tā zài jiā chī fàn. Tā zài jiā.
He eats at home. He is at home.
给/給
gěi
to/for give
他给我买了毛衣。 她给我这件毛衣了。
他給我買了毛衣。 她給我這件毛衣了。
Tā gěi wǒ mǎi le máoyī. Tā gěi wǒ zhè jiàn máoyī le.
He bought a sweater for me. She gave me this sweater.
到
dào
to arrive
你什么时候到图书馆去？ 他什么时候到？
你甚麼時候到圖書館去？ 他甚麼時候到？
Nǐ shénme shíhòu dào túshūguǎn qù? Tā shénme shíhòu dào?
When are you going to the library? What time does he arrive?
对/對
duì
to, toward correct
你应该对客人很客气。 Q: 你是英国人，对吗？
你應該對客人很客氣。 你是英國人，對嗎？
Nǐ yīnggāi duì kèren hěn kèqi. Nǐ shì Yīngguórén, duì ma?
You should be polite to guests. You are British, right?
A: 对。
對。
Duì.
Correct.
跟
gēn
with follow
他每天跟朋友聊天。 不要老跟着我。
不要老跟著我。
Tā měitiān gēn péngyou liáo tiān. Bù yào lǎo gēnzhe wǒ.
He chats with friends every day. Don’t follow me all the time.
You can identify a word as either a preposition or a verb by observing the other words with
which it occurs.
- Prepositions are always followed by an object noun phrase and a verb phrase. If a word is
not followed by both an object noun phrase and a verb phrase, it is not a preposition.
Verb: followed by a noun
phrase but no verb phrase
Preposition: followed by a noun
phrase and a verb phrase
她给我这件毛衣了。 她给我买了这件毛衣了。
她給我這件毛衣了。 她給我買了這件毛衣了。
Tā gěi wǒ zhè jiàn máoyī le. Tā gěi wǒ mǎi le zhè jiàn máoyī le.
She gave me this sweater. She bought this sweater for me.
他在家。 他在家吃饭。
他在家吃飯。
Tā zài jiā. Tā zài jiā chī fàn.
He is at home. He is eating at home.
CGlossary of grammatical terms
