<p>I think you are making a fundamental mistake. Your conscious or otherwise presumption is, Western Grammar is correct and it must therefore apply, without reservation, to Chinese. Words are placed in categories such as 'preposition', but words refuse to remain in their categories. This is true in Chinese and English.</p>

<p>And dear old Aunty Wiki blathers on about it, as if she knows by divine right.</p>

<p>What about 前？Is 前 a preposition? Well, that just depends on how it is used and who is translating.</p>

<p>会议向前提了。<br>
meeting to front/forward carried<br>
The meeting has been brought forward.</p>

<p>我只读了前几行。<br>
I only read 了 first/front few lines<br>
I only read the first few lines. </p>

<p>他走前把门关上了。<br>
he go before 把 door close up<br>
He closed the door behind him.</p>

<p>前不久<br>
before not long<br>
not long ago</p>

<p>就在圣诞节前<br>
just in Christmas before<br>
just before Christmas</p>

<p>在后的, 将要在前。在前的, 将要在后。<br>
So the last will be first, and the first will be last. (Matthew 20:16)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-11T22:59:01.533Z
2020-01-11T22:59:01.533Z
Pedroski
<p>I suggest beginning with the Chinese Grammar Wiki's article <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Preposition" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Preposition</a>, where there's many examples and links.  In practice, I expect these terms are all called &quot;prepositions&quot; <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E4%BB%8B%E7%B3%BB%E8%AF%8D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">介系词</a> (or <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E4%BB%8B%E8%AF%8D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">介词</a>), as the distinction in terminology is unimportant (and confusing).</p>
<p>[To be honest, this sounds like a linguistics question with &quot;in Chinese&quot; tacked on.  Consider asking at <a href="https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/">Linguistics.SE</a>; they might be more familiar with the nuances, and able to give better answers.]</p>
<h3>Postpositions</h3>
<p>Judging from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preposition_and_postposition" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia's examples</a>, a &quot;postposition&quot; <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E5%90%8E%E7%BD%AE%E8%AF%8D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">后置词</a> (as opposed to &quot;preposition&quot; <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E5%89%8D%E7%BD%AE%E8%AF%8D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">前置词</a>) in Chinese is where direction (&quot;position&quot;) is indicated directly after a noun, and not before.  For example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>图书馆<strong>里</strong> (<strong>in</strong> the library)<br />
零<strong>下</strong> (<strong>below</strong> zero)<br />
二战<strong>前</strong> (<strong>before</strong> World War II)<br />
是我<strong>的</strong> ([it] is mine)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In the last example, the possessive particle 的 turns 我 = &quot;me&quot; into 我的 = &quot;mine&quot;.</p>
<h3>Circumpositions</h3>
<p>Chinese also has &quot;circumpositions&quot;, particularly in conjunction with 在 to <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_location_with_%22zai..._shang_/_xia_/_li%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">express location</a>.  Here, direction (&quot;position&quot;) is indicated both before and after a noun.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我站<strong>在</strong>桌子<strong>上</strong> (I stand <strong>on</strong> the table)<br />
宝宝<strong>在</strong>我肚子<strong>里</strong> ([the] baby [is] <strong>in</strong> my tummy)<br />
我<strong>从</strong>北京<strong>来</strong> (I <strong>come</strong> <strong>from</strong> Beijing)</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>Prepositions</h3>
<p>Here, direction (&quot;position&quot;) is indicated before a noun, and not after.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>跟</strong>我去 (go <strong>with</strong> me)<br />
<strong>对</strong>我说谎 (lie <strong>to</strong> me)</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-11T12:53:47.873Z
2020-01-11T12:53:47.873Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Becky 李蓓
<p>I'd like to know more about it and what is its difference from preposition and some examples of this.</p>

<grammar>
Could you say what is postposition in chinese and why it's different from preposition
# Could you say what is postposition in chinese and why it's different from preposition

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-01-11)

I'd like to know more about it and what is its difference from preposition and some examples of this.

**Tags:** grammar


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-01-11. Score: 3

I think you are making a fundamental mistake. Your conscious or otherwise presumption is, Western Grammar is correct and it must therefore apply, without reservation, to Chinese. Words are placed in categories such as 'preposition', but words refuse to remain in their categories. This is true in Chinese and English.

And dear old Aunty Wiki blathers on about it, as if she knows by divine right.

What about 前？Is 前 a preposition? Well, that just depends on how it is used and who is translating.

会议向前提了。  
meeting to front/forward carried  
The meeting has been brought forward.

我只读了前几行。  
I only read 了 first/front few lines  
I only read the first few lines.

他走前把门关上了。  
he go before 把 door close up  
He closed the door behind him.

前不久  
before not long  
not long ago

就在圣诞节前  
just in Christmas before  
just before Christmas

在后的, 将要在前。在前的, 将要在后。  
So the last will be first, and the first will be last. (Matthew 20:16)


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-01-11. Score: 1

I suggest beginning with the Chinese Grammar Wiki's article [Preposition](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Preposition), where there's many examples and links. In practice, I expect these terms are all called "prepositions" [介系词](http://youdao.com/w/%E4%BB%8B%E7%B3%BB%E8%AF%8D) (or [介词](http://youdao.com/w/%E4%BB%8B%E8%AF%8D)), as the distinction in terminology is unimportant (and confusing).

[To be honest, this sounds like a linguistics question with "in Chinese" tacked on. Consider asking at [Linguistics.SE](https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/); they might be more familiar with the nuances, and able to give better answers.]

### Postpositions

Judging from [Wikipedia's examples](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preposition_and_postposition), a "postposition" [后置词](http://youdao.com/w/%E5%90%8E%E7%BD%AE%E8%AF%8D) (as opposed to "preposition" [前置词](http://youdao.com/w/%E5%89%8D%E7%BD%AE%E8%AF%8D)) in Chinese is where direction ("position") is indicated directly after a noun, and not before. For example:

> 图书馆**里** (**in** the library)  
> 零**下** (**below** zero)  
> 二战**前** (**before** World War II)  
> 是我**的** ([it] is mine)

In the last example, the possessive particle 的 turns 我 = "me" into 我的 = "mine".

### Circumpositions

Chinese also has "circumpositions", particularly in conjunction with 在 to [express location](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_location_with_%22zai..._shang_/_xia_/_li%22). Here, direction ("position") is indicated both before and after a noun.

> 我站**在**桌子**上** (I stand **on** the table)  
> 宝宝**在**我肚子**里** ([the] baby [is] **in** my tummy)  
> 我**从**北京**来** (I **come** **from** Beijing)

### Prepositions

Here, direction ("position") is indicated before a noun, and not after.

> **跟**我去 (go **with** me)  
> **对**我说谎 (lie **to** me)


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