basic functions of prepositions
14.214.2.3 Prepositions that indicate joint performance of an action跟 gēn ‘with’
她每天跟他朋友吃午饭。
她每天跟他朋友吃午飯。
Tā měitiān gēn tā péngyou chī wǔfàn.
She eats lunch with her friends every day.This use of 跟 gēn ‘with’ overlaps with that of the conjunction 跟 gēn ‘and.’
C16.114.2.4 Prepositions that indicate movement of the subject
从/從 cóng ‘from’: movement from a location他慢慢地从宿舍走出来了。
他慢慢地從宿舍走出來了。
Tā mànmān de cóng sùshè zǒuchūlái le.
He slowly walked out of the dormitory.
到 dào ‘to’: movement to a location that is the destination他想到餐厅去找朋友。
他想到餐廳去找朋友。
Tā xiǎng dào cāntīng qù zhǎo péngyou.
He’s thinking about going to the cafeteria to look for his friends.
往 wǎng, ‘toward’ a location往西边走。
往西邊走。
Wǎng xībian zǒu.
Go (toward the) west.
进/進 jìn ‘into’ a location他进城去了。
他進城去了。
Tā jìn chéng qù le.
He went into the city.
从/從 cóng and 到 dào may occur in sequence in the same sentence:从宿舍 到邮局 怎么走？
從宿舍 到郵局 怎麼走？
Cóng sùshè dào yóujú zěnme zǒu?
How do you go from the dormitory to the post office?14.2.5 Prepositions that indicate transfer of something from one noun
phrase to another给/給 gěi ‘to, for’
她给我买书了。
她給我買書了。
Tā gěi wǒ mǎi shū le.She bought a book for me.