zhongwen-obsidian/Position Words.md

A position word specifies a location, and the specification is made in reference to something else. For example, the English word "outside" is a position word, but it needs context to provide the reference point: "outside of a room", "outside of a building", etc.

Some of the common Chinese position words are:

• 里边lǐbian "inside" - 外边wàibian "outside"
• 前边qiánbian "front" - 后边hòubian "back"
• 上边shàngbian "top" - 下边xiàbian "bottom"
• 左边zuǒbian "left" - 右边yòubian "right"
• 旁边pángbiān "side, flank"
• 中间zhōngjiān "middle"
• 对面duìmiàn "opposite"

In Chinese the order is different to in English. In English the position word comes first (often with extra grammar words like "of"), followed by the noun. In Chinese the order is flipped, but the construction is simple:

(location noun) + (position)

The position word becomes the head noun, and the reference location noun becomes a modifier of it (albeit without 的de).

Examples:

1. 书上边 "on top of the book"
2. 照片下边 "underneath the photo"
3. 教室里边 "inside the classroom"
4. 邮局外边 "outside of the post office"
5. 厨房前边 "in front of the kitchen"
6. 卧室后边 "behind the bedroom"
7. 桌子左边 "to the left of the desk"
8. 椅子右边 "to the right of the chair"
9. 客厅旁边 "to the side of the living room"
10. 洗澡间中间 "in the middle of the bathroom"
11. 学校对面 "opposite the school"

However, position words can also be used to modify a noun, in combination with 的de - in this case they come before as all modifiers do:

1. 上边的衬衫 "the shirt on the top"
2. 下边的信 "the letter on the underside"
3. 外边的窗户 "the window on the outside"
4. 里边的人 "the people/person inside"
5. 左边的房间 "the room on the left"
6. 右边的花儿 "the flowers on the right"
7. 旁边的银行 "the bank to the side"
8. 对面的车 "the car on the opposite side"
9. 中间的花园 "the garden in the middle"

We can even combine these two patterns to give a complete modification unit with position reference:

(noun + position) + 的 + noun

Examples:

1. 床上边的衬衫 the shirt on top of the bed
2. 书下边的笔 the pen underneath the book
3. 学校外边的邮局 the post office outside of the campus
4. 食堂里边的桌子 the tables inside the dining hall
5. 图书馆前边的咖啡馆 the café in front of the library
6. 宿舍后边的操场 the field behind the dormitory