HSK 1 · Lesson 10你在哪儿？ Where are you?

Where things are: 在, positions (left, right, in front…), 有 meaning “there is”.

Speed:Male voice:

Dialogues

On the phone

喂，你在哪儿？

Wéi, nǐ zài nǎr?

Hello, where are you?

我在图书馆。你呢？

Wǒ zài túshūguǎn. Nǐ ne?

I’m in the library. And you?

我在学校门口。图书馆在哪儿？

Wǒ zài xuéxiào ménkǒu. Túshūguǎn zài nǎr?

I’m at the school gate. Where is the library?

在教学楼的后边，商店的旁边。

Zài jiàoxuélóu de hòubian, shāngdiàn de pángbiān.

Behind the classroom building, next to the shop.

图书馆里有没有洗手间？

Túshūguǎn lǐ yǒu méiyǒu xǐshǒujiān?

Is there a restroom in the library?

有，在一楼右边。

Yǒu, zài yī lóu yòubian.

Yes, on the first floor on the right.

New words

在zàito exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at
哪儿nǎrwhere?; wherever; anywhere; somewhere
这儿zhèrhere
那儿nàrthere
学校xuéxiàoschool
图书馆túshūguǎnlibrary
医院yīyuànhospital
门口ménkǒudoorway; gate
前边qiánbianfront; the front side; in front of
后边hòubianthe back; the rear; the last bit
左边zuǒbianleft; the left side; to the left of
右边yòubianright side; right, to the right
旁边pángbiānside; adjacent place
里lǐlining; interior; inside
上边shàngbianabove, on top
下边xiàbianunder; the underside; below
中间zhōngjiānthe middle; the inside; in the middle; within; between; among
楼lóuhouse with more than 1 story; storied building; floor
洗手间xǐshǒujiāntoilet; lavatory; washroom
教学楼jiàoxuélóuschool building; academic building
喂wèihey; to feed (an animal, baby, invalid etc); to feed
上shàngup; upper; above; previous
后hòuempress; queen; (archaic) monarch
边biānside; edge; margin
手机shǒujīcell phone; mobile phone
桌子zhuōzitable; desk

📝 Worksheet for this lesson

Grammar

1. 在 — “to be located”

Person/thing + 在 + place

我在家 “I’m at home”, 书在桌子上 “the book is on the table”. Question — 在哪儿？ Negative — 不在: 他不在学校.

老师不在这儿。

Lǎoshī bú zài zhèr.

The teacher isn’t here.

2. Positions: X 的 + 前边/后边…

前边 in front, 后边 behind, 左边 left, 右边 right, 旁边 next to, 上边 above, 下边 below, 里(边) inside, 中间 in the middle. “In front of the school” is 学校(的)前边: landmark first, then the side. Short 里 and 上 attach directly: 家里, 桌子上.

医院在学校的左边。

Yīyuàn zài xuéxiào de zuǒbian.

The hospital is to the left of the school.

3. 有 — “there is”

Place + 有 + thing

Compare: 书在桌子上 “the book is on the table” and 桌子上有书 “there is a book on the table”. With 有 the place comes first. “Is there or not?” — 有没有.

学校旁边有一个商店。

Xuéxiào pángbiān yǒu yí ge shāngdiàn.

There is a shop next to the school.

Exercises

1. 在 or 有?

我的手机___桌子上。
Answer
在
桌子上___一本书。
Answer
有
图书馆里___很多学生。
Answer
有

2. Translate

Where is the restroom?
Answer
洗手间在哪儿？
The shop is to the right of the hospital.
Answer
商店在医院的右边。
Mum isn’t at home.
Answer
妈妈不在家。

💡 Did you know?: The first floor

Floors are counted from the ground: 一楼 is the ground floor (like US usage). Basements are 地下一层 (B1).

Phrase audio — Microsoft speech synthesis (voices Xiaoxiao, Yunyang, Yunxi); syllables and some words — native recordings (audio-cmn, CC BY-SA).