Place Adverbs
Place adverbs tell us where an action happens, and they help make descriptions more precise and vivid. This guide goes over common place adverbs in Mandarin Chinese, so you can point to locations clearly.
Key Place Adverbs
Key place adverbs show location relative to the speaker or to other things. They are short and very common in everyday speech. Learn these first to describe basic positions.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这儿 | zhèr | here |
| 那儿 | nàr | there |
| 外面 | wàimiàn | outside |
| 里面 | lǐmiàn | inside |
| 上面 | shàngmiàn | on top / above |
| 下面 | xiàmiàn | below / under |
| 附近 | fùjìn | nearby |
| 对面 | duìmiàn | opposite / across from |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Example Sentence | Pinyin Sentence | English Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 这儿 | zhèr | here | ☕ 我现在就坐在这儿喝咖啡。 | Wǒ xiànzài jiù zuò zài zhèr hē kāfēi. | I am sitting here drinking coffee right now. |
| 那儿 | nàr | there | 🗼 朋友说：“我在那儿的咖啡馆等你。” | Péngyǒu shuō: "Wǒ zài nàr de kāfēiguǎn děng nǐ." | Friend said: "I'm waiting for you at that cafe over there." |
| 里边 | lǐbian | inside | 🍰 甜点就在柜台里边。 | Tiándiǎn jiù zài guìtái lǐbian. | The desserts are just inside the counter. |
| 外面 | wàimiàn | outside | 🌳 饭馆外面有几张桌子。 | Fànguǎn wàimiàn yǒu jǐ zhāng zhuōzi. | There are several tables outside the restaurant. |
| 楼上 | lóushàng | upstairs | 🛋️ 客人们都去了楼上休息。 | Kèrénmen dōu qùle lóushàng xiūxí. | The guests all went upstairs to rest. |
| 楼下 | lóuxià | downstairs | 🚪 服务员从楼下来带菜单。 | Fúwùyuán cóng lóuxià lái dài càidān. | The waiter came downstairs with the menu. |
| 附近 | fùjìn | nearby | 🏪 附近有一家很有名的咖啡馆。 | Fùjìn yǒu yījiā hěn yǒumíng de kāfēiguǎn. | There is a famous cafe nearby. |
| 隔壁 | gébì | next door | ☕ 今天我们去隔壁新开的咖啡店试试。 | Jīntiān wǒmen qù gébì xīnkāi de kāfēidiàn shì shì. | Today we’ll try the newly opened cafe next door. |
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Using Place Adverbs
Place adverbs usually appear after the verb or at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis. You can also use them with nouns to specify location more exactly. Context determines the best position.
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More Precise Adverbs
More precise adverbs add detail by combining place words with directions or measures. They are useful for describing exact spots when telling someone where to go or where something is placed.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 左边 | zuǒbiān | left side |
| 右边 | yòubiān | right side |
| 前面 | qiánmiàn | front / ahead |
| 后面 | hòumiàn | behind |
| 附近 | fùjìn | nearby |
| 办公室旁边 | bàngōngshì pángbiān | beside the office |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Example Sentence | Pinyin Sentence | English Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 旁边 | pángbiān | beside | 🪑 我坐在窗边，朋友坐在我旁边。 | Wǒ zuò zài chuāng biān, péngyǒu zuò zài wǒ pángbiān. | I sit by the window, my friend sits beside me. |
| 对面 | duìmiàn | opposite | 🪟 服务员坐在对面的桌子上休息。 | Fúwùyuán zuò zài duìmiàn de zhuōzi shàng xiūxí. | The waiter is resting at the table opposite. |
| 里面 | lǐmiàn | inside (more general) | 🧁 里面的座位都被客人占了。 | Lǐmiàn de zuòwèi dōu bèi kèrén zhàn le. | The seats inside are all taken by customers. |
| 外头 | wàitou | outside (colloquial) | 🍃 外头的阳光很暖和。 | Wàitou de yángguāng hěn nuǎnhuo. | The sunlight outside is very warm. |
| 上面 | shàngmiàn | on top | 🍽️ 桌子上面放着一盘水果。 | Zhuōzi shàngmiàn fàng zhe yī pán shuǐguǒ. | There is a plate of fruit on the table. |
| 下面 | xiàmiàn | underneath | 👜 我的包放在椅子下面了。 | Wǒ de bāo fàng zài yǐzi xiàmiàn le. | My bag is placed under the chair. |
| 里头 | lǐtou | inside (colloquial) | 🔑 钥匙可能掉进里头的沙发缝里了。 | Yàoshi kěnéng diàojìn lǐtou de shāfā fèng lǐ le. | The keys might have fallen into the gap inside the sofa. |
| 附下 | fùxià | nearby and below (less common) | 📬 邮箱就在咖啡馆门口附下。 | Yóuxiāng jiù zài kāfēiguǎn ménkǒu fùxià. | The mailbox is just below near the cafe entrance. |
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Examples
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| ☕ 我们就在这儿喝咖啡吧。 | Wǒmen jiù zài zhèr hē kāfēi ba. | Let's just have coffee here. |
| 🗼 那儿的风景真好，去看看吧。 | Nàr de fēngjǐng zhēn hǎo, qù kàn kàn ba. | The view over there is great, let's go see it. |
| 🍰 甜点放里边的柜子里了。 | Tiándiǎn fàng lǐbian de guìzi lǐ le. | The desserts are placed inside the cabinet. |
| 🌳 外面有人在晒太阳。 | Wàimiàn yǒu rén zài shài tàiyáng. | Someone is sunbathing outside. |
| 🛋️ 我们可以楼上找个安静的地方坐坐。 | Wǒmen kěyǐ lóushàng zhǎo gè ānjìng de dìfāng zuò zuò. | We can find a quiet spot upstairs to sit. |
| 🚪 服务员楼下又来了一趟。 | Fúwùyuán lóuxià yòu lái le yī tàng. | The waiter came downstairs again. |
| 🏪 附近有个很方便的停车场。 | Fùjìn yǒu gè hěn fāngbiàn de tíngchē chǎng. | There is a very convenient parking lot nearby. |
| ☕ 今天我们去隔壁那家试试新口味。 | Jīntiān wǒmen qù gébì nà jiā shì shì xīn kǒuwèi. | Today we’ll try the new flavors at the next door place. |
Summary
Place adverbs like zhèr 这儿 and nàr 那儿 tell you where things are relative to the speaker. More precise adverbs like zuǒbiān 左边 and pángbiān 旁边 add detail by specifying sides or nearby spots. Practice putting these adverbs after the verb or at the sentence start to make directions clear and natural.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025