<p>In the introductory Chinese courses I've seen they've taught two basic sentence structures:</p>

<p><strong>STPVO</strong> and <strong>TSPVO</strong></p>

<ul>
<li>S = Subject</li>
<li>T = Time</li>
<li>P = Place</li>
<li>V = Verb</li>
<li>O = Object</li>
</ul>

<p>Your sentence sounds quite strange to me, and I think it's because you're putting the <em>place</em> in front instead of the <em>time</em> or <em>subject</em>. Either of these variations sound much better:</p>

<p>我上个星期在日本看朋友。(STPVO)</p>

<p>上个星期我在日本看朋友。(TSPVO)</p>

<p>I don't think it's technically <em>wrong</em> to put 日本 first, but in that case you're putting much more emphasis on the place, which doesn't seem to be reflected in your English sentence.</p>

<p>In any case, you're right that 在 should go in front of 日本.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-03T00:23:37.360Z
2014-03-03T00:23:37.360Z
DaoWen
<p>In most cases, the location adverbial should be placed after the time adverbial.</p>
<p>When the intention is to make a statement without emphasizing time or location, these adverbials should be placed after the subject:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Subject Time Location Verb</p>
<p>我上个星期在日本看见了一个朋友。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To emphasize time, take it before the subject:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Time Subject Location Verb</p>
<p>上个星期我在日本看见了一个朋友。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To emphasize location, take both time and location before the subject and keep the order:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Time Location Subject Verb</p>
<p>上个星期在日本，我看见了一个朋友。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I couldn't find any authoritative reference saying location before time is wrong, but it sounds so unnatural that you should consider it wrong and avoid using that order.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T00:28:19.603Z
2014-03-04T00:28:19.603Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
NS.X.
<p>上个星期我在日本看见了我的朋友</p>

<p>You should use 看见了</p>

<p>Source : 
Im Chinese, but not from China</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T08:17:05.757Z
"Im Chinese, but not from China". What do you mean? You're of Chinese heritage but grew up in another country? Born in another country? Is Chinese your mother tongue?
Niklas Berglund
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T10:07:49.147Z
Yup. I'm chinese born in other country.
Chinese is my mother tongue but not my native language(country official language)
Timothy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-03T10:47:49.440Z
2014-03-03T10:47:49.440Z
Timothy
<p>The best description is <code>我上个星期在日本见了朋友</code>.</p>

<p>Please be aware that you should add a <code>了</code> because the action is already done. It's like <code>did</code> to <code>done</code> in English.</p>

<p>Please also be aware that <code>见了</code> is slightly different than <code>看见了</code>:</p>

<ul>
<li><code>见了</code> means that you visited a friend, and even had a conversation/dinner together.</li>
<li><code>看见了</code> means that you happen to see a friend, but you didn't even talk to him/person.</li>
</ul>

<p>You may also want to add a <code>一个</code> or <code>几个</code> in front of <code>朋友</code> to make it more smoothly and local. For example:</p>

<p><code>我上个星期在日本看见了几个朋友</code> or <code>我上个星期在日本见了一个朋友</code> is much better than <code>我上个星期在日本看见了朋友</code> or <code>我上个星期在日本见了朋友</code></p>

<p>Sometimes we could also say <code>我上个星期在日本见朋友了</code>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-03T15:02:35.600Z
2014-03-03T15:02:35.600Z
AGamePlayer
<blockquote>
  <p>在日本，我上个星期看朋友.</p>
  
  <p>我在日本上个星期看朋友.</p>
  
  <p>我去看朋友,是上个星期日本去看的.</p>
  
  <p>上个星期我去日本看朋友.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>They all seem OK to me.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-13T13:32:07.813Z
2014-03-13T13:32:07.813Z
Ave Maleficum
<p>上个星期, 我在日本看到朋友。</p>

<p>First, because there is no conjugation in Chinese verbs, so the time adverb is important in Chinese language to indicate the time tenses. Usually it is better to point out the time asap in a sentence. Also, Chinese sentence structure is very straightforward, which is mostly S + V + O, even in a question sentence. As for the verb 看, in a past tense, a 到 or 了 (past tense indicator) is needed after the verb 看 to indicate that the verb (action) is completed already in in past.   </p>

<p>Also, to answer your question, 在(to be at / to be in) is always used right before the location. For example, 在日本，在家，在加州。</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-12T15:31:30.983Z
2014-05-12T15:37:15.990Z
2014-05-12T15:37:15.990Z
ChineseHulu.com
<p>So, if I wanted to say, "Last week I saw my friend in Japan," where would the location (Japan) go in this sentence?</p>

<p>I thought it would go like this:
在日本，我上个星期看朋友。</p>

<p>Is that correct or does the location go after the time?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-12T15:36:57.737Z
As for the verb 看, in Chinese past tenses, a 到 or 了 (past tense indicator) is needed after the verb 看 to indicate that the verb (action) is completed already in in past.
ChineseHulu.com
<grammar>
When you use 在 with a time, where does 在 go in the sentence?
# When you use 在 with a time, where does 在 go in the sentence?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-02)

So, if I wanted to say, "Last week I saw my friend in Japan," where would the location (Japan) go in this sentence?

I thought it would go like this:
在日本，我上个星期看朋友。

Is that correct or does the location go after the time?

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: As for the verb 看, in Chinese past tenses, a 到 or 了 (past tense indicator) is needed after the verb 看 to indicate that the verb (action) is completed already in in past.  

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## 6 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-03-03. Score: 8

In the introductory Chinese courses I've seen they've taught two basic sentence structures:

**STPVO** and **TSPVO**

* S = Subject
* T = Time
* P = Place
* V = Verb
* O = Object

Your sentence sounds quite strange to me, and I think it's because you're putting the *place* in front instead of the *time* or *subject*. Either of these variations sound much better:

我上个星期在日本看朋友。(STPVO)

上个星期我在日本看朋友。(TSPVO)

I don't think it's technically *wrong* to put 日本 first, but in that case you're putting much more emphasis on the place, which doesn't seem to be reflected in your English sentence.

In any case, you're right that 在 should go in front of 日本.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-03-04. Score: 1

In most cases, the location adverbial should be placed after the time adverbial.

When the intention is to make a statement without emphasizing time or location, these adverbials should be placed after the subject:

> Subject Time Location Verb
>
> 我上个星期在日本看见了一个朋友。

To emphasize time, take it before the subject:

> Time Subject Location Verb
>
> 上个星期我在日本看见了一个朋友。

To emphasize location, take both time and location before the subject and keep the order:

> Time Location Subject Verb
>
> 上个星期在日本，我看见了一个朋友。

I couldn't find any authoritative reference saying location before time is wrong, but it sounds so unnatural that you should consider it wrong and avoid using that order.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-03-03. Score: 1

上个星期我在日本看见了我的朋友

You should use 看见了

Source :
Im Chinese, but not from China

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: "Im Chinese, but not from China". What do you mean? You're of Chinese heritage but grew up in another country? Born in another country? Is Chinese your mother tongue?  
> **username_4**: Yup. I'm chinese born in other country. Chinese is my mother tongue but not my native language(country official language)  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2014-03-03. Score: 1

The best description is `我上个星期在日本见了朋友`.

Please be aware that you should add a `了` because the action is already done. It's like `did` to `done` in English.

Please also be aware that `见了` is slightly different than `看见了`:

* `见了` means that you visited a friend, and even had a conversation/dinner together.
* `看见了` means that you happen to see a friend, but you didn't even talk to him/person.

You may also want to add a `一个` or `几个` in front of `朋友` to make it more smoothly and local. For example:

`我上个星期在日本看见了几个朋友` or `我上个星期在日本见了一个朋友` is much better than `我上个星期在日本看见了朋友` or `我上个星期在日本见了朋友`

Sometimes we could also say `我上个星期在日本见朋友了`.


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### Answer by username_7 on 2014-03-13. Score: 1

> 在日本，我上个星期看朋友.
>
> 我在日本上个星期看朋友.
>
> 我去看朋友,是上个星期日本去看的.
>
> 上个星期我去日本看朋友.

They all seem OK to me.


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### Answer by username_1 on 2014-05-12. Score: 1

上个星期, 我在日本看到朋友。

First, because there is no conjugation in Chinese verbs, so the time adverb is important in Chinese language to indicate the time tenses. Usually it is better to point out the time asap in a sentence. Also, Chinese sentence structure is very straightforward, which is mostly S + V + O, even in a question sentence. As for the verb 看, in a past tense, a 到 or 了 (past tense indicator) is needed after the verb 看 to indicate that the verb (action) is completed already in in past.

Also, to answer your question, 在(to be at / to be in) is always used right before the location. For example, 在日本，在家，在加州。


---

