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fāngwèi míngcí
Locative nouns (方位名词)
Locative words like 上, 下, 里, 前边, and 后边 attach after a noun to show where something is. The pattern is always Noun + Locative word — never the other way around. Use 在 or 有 to connect the location phrase to the rest of the sentence.
대표 예문
钥匙在包里，手机在桌子上，猫在沙发下面——找东西？先说名词，再说方位！
Yàoshi zài bāo lǐ, shǒujī zài zhuōzi shàng, māo zài shāfā xiàmian — zhǎo dōngxi? Xiān shuō míngcí, zài shuō fāngwèi!
Keys in the bag, phone on the desk, cat under the sofa — looking for something? Name the place first, then add the direction word!
HSK 1
HSK 1
1
구조 1개
10
문제 10개
강의 요약
Formula: Noun + Locative word (上/下/里/前边/后边/旁边). Meaning: shows where something is located. Key usage: always place the locative word AFTER the noun — 桌子上 (on the table), 房间里 (in the room). Use with 在: 书在桌子上. Model sentence: 钥匙在包里。 (The keys are in the bag.)
Locative nouns (方位名词) are direction and position words that attach to a noun to say where something is located. The most common ones at HSK 1 are: 上 (on/above), 下 (under/below), 里 (inside), 外 (outside), 前边 (in front), 后边 (behind), 左边 (left), 右边 (right), 旁边 (beside).
The core structure is: Noun + Locative word. For example: 桌子上 (on the table), 房间里 (inside the room), 学校前边 (in front of the school). The locative word ALWAYS comes after the noun — unlike English where we say 'on the table', putting 'on' first.
To use these in a full sentence, combine with 在 (to be at a location) or 有 (there is/are): 书在桌子上 (The book is on the table) / 桌子上有书 (There is a book on the table).
When NOT to use: Do not place the locative word before the noun (上桌子 is wrong). Do not confuse 里 (inside a container/room) with 上 (on a surface). Use 里 for enclosed spaces (房间里, 包里, 冰箱里) and 上 for surfaces (桌子上, 黑板上, 地图上).
Common confusion: English learners often say 在上桌子 copying 'on the table' — wrong! Chinese puts the locative word after the noun: 在桌子上.
문형
Noun + locative word
Attach a locative word (上/下/里/前边 etc.) after a noun to form a location phrase. This phrase then works with 在 or 有 in a full sentence.
钥匙在包里。
Yàoshi zài bāo lǐ.
The keys are in the bag.
超市在银行旁边。
Chāoshì zài yínháng pángbiān.
The supermarket is next to the bank.
厕所在教室后边。
The locative word (上) must come AFTER the noun (桌子), not before. English puts the preposition first ('on the table'), but Chinese reverses this order.
The noun 房间 must come before the locative word 里. Learners sometimes copy Vietnamese/English structure and put the locative word in the wrong position.
빈칸을 채우세요:
Cèsuǒ zài jiàoshì hòubian.
The restroom is behind the classroom.
The locative word cannot stand alone as a location. You must specify WHICH surface or object: 桌子下, 椅子下, 床下.