exPreSSiNG loCatioN aNd diStaNCe
47.4
[左边]的人
[左邊]的人
[zuǒbiān] de rén
the person [(who is) on the left]
The location phrase may itself include a noun with a description:
[房子(的)后头]的人
[房子(的)後頭]的人
[fángzi de hòutou] de rén
the person [(who is) behind the house]
[图书馆(的)对面]的学校
[圖書館(的)對面]的學校
[túshūguǎn (de) duìmiàn] de xuéxiào
the school [(that is) across from the library]
C9.2, 30.3
Compare the use of the location phrase as a description of a noun, with the use of the location
phrase to indicate the location of a noun. Keep in mind that location phrases follow the noun
and description phrases precede the noun.
Location: noun 的 de location phrase Description: location phrase 的 de noun
房子的后头 后头的房子
房子的後頭 後頭的房子
fángzi de hòutou hòutou de fángzi
behind the house the house that is behind
房子的北面 北面的房子
fángzi de běimiàn běimiàn de fángzi
to the north of the house the house to the north
孩子的右边 右边的孩子
孩子的右邊 右邊的孩子
háizi de yòubiān yòubiān de háizi
to the right of the child the child on the right
前头的人 人的前头
前頭的人 人的前頭
qiántou de rén rén de qiántou
the person who is in front in front of the person
书的上头 上头的书
書的上頭 上頭的書
shū de shàngtou shàngtou de shū
on top of the book the book on top
47.4 Talking about distance
In Mandarin, distance is always expressed with the word 离/離 lí ‘to be separated from.’
All expressions of distance use the following structure. The noun phrases refer to objects
or locations.
noun phrase 1 离/離 lí noun phrase 2 close/far/x distance
noun phrase 1 is close/far/x distance from noun phrase 2
