Prepositions are short words that show how one thing relates to another, especially in space, time, cause, or manner. They usually come before a noun or pronoun to form a prepositional phrase, like “in the box” or “after lunch.” The prepositional phrase often adds detail to a sentence by answering where, when, how, or why. Many common prepositions have multiple meanings, so you choose the one that matches the relationship you want to express.

Use place prepositions to describe location and movement. “In” focuses on being inside a space, “on” focuses on a surface, and “at” points to a specific place or point on a map. For movement, “to” shows direction toward a destination, while “from” shows the starting point. These choices often depend on whether you see the location as an enclosed space, a surface, or a point.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use in for enclosed spaces	🧩 封闭空间用 in	The keys are in my bag.	📌 钥匙在我的包里。
Use on for surfaces	🧩 表面用 on	The phone is on the table.	📌 手机在桌子上。
Use at for a point or specific place	🧩 点或具体地点用 at	Meet me at the station.	📌 在车站见我。
Use to for movement toward a place	🧩 移动到某地用 to	She went to the office.	📌 她去办公室。
Use from for the starting point	🧩 起点用 from	We drove from Boston.	📌 我们从波士顿出发。

Time prepositions connect actions to moments, days, dates, and longer periods. “At” is used for exact times, “on” for days and dates, and “in” for longer periods like months, years, and seasons. “For” expresses duration, while “during” highlights that something happens within a period. Picking the right one depends on whether you mean a specific point in time or a span of time.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use at for clock times	🧩 用 at 表示钟点时间	The meeting starts at 9:00.	📌 会议在 9:00 开始。
Use on for days and dates	🧩 用 on 表示日子与日期	We leave on Friday.	📌 我们周五离开。
Use in for months, years, seasons, and longer periods	🧩 用 in 表示月份、年份、季节及较长时间段	She was born in 2001.	📌 她出生于 2001 年。
Use for for duration	🧩 用 for 表示持续时长	I lived there for two years.	📌 我在那里住了两年。
Use during for something happening within a period	🧩 用 during 表示在某段时间内发生的事	I fell asleep during the movie.	📌 我在看电影时睡着了。

Some prepositions describe the path an object or person takes. “Into” emphasizes entering an enclosed space, while “out of” emphasizes leaving it. “Across” describes movement from one side to the other, and “through” focuses on movement within something like a tunnel, crowd, or process. These are especially useful when you want to make the direction and path clearer than “to” alone.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
into	🧭 into	movement to the inside of a space	🧾 走向空间内部的移动	He walked into the room.	📌 他走进了房间。
out of	🧭 out of	movement from inside to outside	🧾 从内部到外部的移动	She ran out of the house.	📌 她从房子里跑了出来。
across	🧭 across	movement from one side to the other	🧾 从一边到另一边的移动	We swam across the river.	📌 我们游过河。
through	🧭 through	movement within and out the other side	🧾 在某物内部并穿过另一侧的移动	They drove through the tunnel.	📌 他们穿过隧道开车。
along	🧭 along	movement following a line or edge	🧾 沿着线条或边缘移动	Walk along the beach.	📌 沿着海滩走。

English often needs prepositions to show relative position rather than exact location. “Under” and “over” describe vertical position, while “above” and “below” often sound more neutral and less connected to contact. “Between” is used for two reference points, while “among” is used for a group. “Near” and “by” express closeness, with “by” often sounding slightly more specific or immediate.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
under	📍 under	lower than, often directly beneath	🧾 比…低，通常直接在其下方	The cat is under the bed.	📌 猫在床下。
over	📍 over	higher than, often covering or across	🧾 高于，常覆盖或跨越	A lamp hangs over the table.	📌 灯挂在桌子上方。
above	📍 above	higher than, not necessarily directly over	🧾 高于，未必正上方	The picture is above the sofa.	📌 图片在沙发上方。
below	📍 below	lower than, neutral and general	🧾 低于，中性与一般性	The temperature is below zero.	📌 温度低于零度。
between	📍 between	in the middle of two things	🧾 在两者之间	The café is between the bank and the library.	📌 咖啡馆在银行和图书馆之间。
among	📍 among	in a group of many things	🧾 在一组多物之中	She was sitting among friends.	📌 她坐在朋友之间。
near	📍 near	close to, not far away	🧾 接近，不远处	We live near the park.	📌 我们住在公园附近。
by	📍 by	next to or at the side of	🧾 紧挨着或在侧边	Put the bag by the door.	📌 把包放在门口旁边。

Prepositions can express reasons and goals. “Because of” introduces a cause, while “due to” is also used for cause but is more formal and often follows a linking verb. “For” can express purpose or intended use, and “to” can express a goal in phrases like “to my surprise” or “to your benefit.” Choosing the right form depends on whether you are explaining a reason, assigning responsibility, or stating an intended function.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
because of	🧠 because of	caused by something	🧾 由某事引起	The game was canceled because of rain.	📌 因雨而取消比赛。
due to	🧠 due to	caused by, more formal style	🧾 由……引起，更正式的风格	The delay was due to traffic.	📌 延迟是由于交通堵塞。
for	🧠 for	purpose or intended use	🧾 目的或预期用途	This tool is for cutting wood.	📌 这个工具是用于切木头的。
to	🧠 to	toward a goal or result in set phrases	🧾 朝向目标或结果的设定短语	To my surprise, he agreed.	📌 令我惊讶的是，他同意了。

Use these prepositions to show how something is done. “By” often introduces a method, especially with transport or a process, while “with” highlights a tool or something used together. “In” can describe the manner, style, or form, such as speaking in a certain language or writing in pencil. The difference is mostly what you want to emphasize: method, instrument, or style.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
by	🛠️ by	method or route	🧾 方法或路线	I came by train.	📌 我是坐火车来的。
with	🛠️ with	instrument or accompaniment	🧾 工具或陪伴物	She opened it with a key.	📌 她用钥匙打开它。
in	🛠️ in	manner, style, or form	🧾 方式、风格或形式	Please reply in writing.	📌 请用书面形式回复。
like	🛠️ like	similarity in manner or appearance	🧾 风格或外观的相似性	He talks like a teacher.	📌 他说话像老师。

Prepositions can connect nouns by showing ownership, origin, or material. “Of” is the most common connector for describing what something belongs to or what it is about. “With” can describe a feature that something has, especially in descriptions. “From” can mark origin, and “by” can mark the creator of something, especially in passive structures.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use of to connect something to its owner or topic	🧩 Use of to connect something to its owner or topic	The cover of the book is red.	📌 The cover of the book is red.
Use with to describe a feature or included part	🧩 Use with to describe a feature or included part	A house with a garden is expensive.	📌 A house with a garden is expensive.
Use from to show origin	🧩 Use from to show origin	She is from Mexico.	📌 She is from Mexico.
Use by to show the creator or agent	🧩 Use by to show the creator or agent	The novel was written by Toni Morrison.	📌 The novel was written by Toni Morrison.

In passive sentences, the focus is on the receiver of the action, not the doer. “By” introduces the agent, meaning who performed the action, but it is often omitted when the agent is unknown or unimportant. “With” can introduce the instrument used to perform the action. This helps you separate the doer from the tool in a clear way.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use by for the agent in the passive	🧩 Use by for the agent in the passive	The window was broken by a storm.	📌 The window was broken by a storm.
Omit by when the agent is not important	🧩 Omit by when the agent is not important	The documents were signed yesterday.	📌 The documents were signed yesterday.
Use with for the instrument	🧩 Use with for the instrument	The window was broken with a rock.	📌 The window was broken with a rock.

Some prepositions are fixed with certain verbs, adjectives, and nouns, and the meaning can change if you switch them. In many cases, there is no simple logic, so the best approach is to learn the pairing as one unit, like “interested in” or “afraid of.” When you are unsure, check whether the preposition expresses place, time, cause, or method, and then confirm the common pairing. This is one of the main reasons prepositions feel difficult in English.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
interested in	🔗 interested in	wanting to know about something	🧾 想要了解某事	I am interested in history.	📌 我对历史感兴趣。
good at	🔗 good at	skilled in an activity	🧾 某项活动的熟练	She is good at chess.	📌 她擅长国际象棋。
afraid of	🔗 afraid of	feeling fear about something	🧾 对某事感到害怕	He is afraid of heights.	📌 他害怕高度。
wait for	🔗 wait for	stay until something happens or arrives	🧾 等待直到某事发生或到来	We are waiting for the bus.	📌 我们在等公交车。
belong to	🔗 belong to	be owned by someone	🧾 属于某人拥有	This jacket belongs to me.	📌 这件夹克属于我。

Common prepositions let you describe where things are, when things happen, and how actions connect to reasons, methods, and relationships. The key is to match the preposition to the relationship you mean, such as point versus period for time, or container versus surface for place. When English uses fixed pairings, learn the word and its preposition together as a single expression. With these patterns, you can choose prepositions more confidently in everyday sentences.