L'IDÉE À RETENIR

La plupart des erreurs viennent d'une traduction mot à mot du chinois. Apprenez l'image anglaise — surface, point, contenant — et les pièges disparaissent.

Illustration aquarelle de deux amis discutant autour d'un café ensoleillé
Un peu de contexte éclaire le sens.

01Trap 1–2: 在 is three words

在桌子上 is on the table, because the table is a surface. 在门口 is at the door, because a door is a meeting point. 在房间里 is in the room, because a room contains you. One Chinese word, three English answers — the picture decides. Students who memorize 在 = in will miss two out of three; students who picture the place get all three.

The same split hits transport: 在车上 is on the bus (you board it) but in the car (it encloses you). And 在黑板上 is on the blackboard — boards are vertical surfaces, not containers. Every time you want to write 在, pause and ask: surface, point, or container?

The book is on the desk, not in it.

在桌上 → on

The book is on the desk, not in it.

A desk is a surface, so 在 maps to on.

02Trap 3–4: verbs that refuse prepositions

English verbs choose their own partners, and Chinese instincts mislead. Discuss the plan — never discuss about it. Enter the room — never enter into it (unless you mean an agreement). Marry him, contact her, reach the station: direct objects, no preposition. But arrive needs one: arrive at the station, arrive in Beijing. And listen always brings to: listen to music.

Let's discuss — the plan tomorrow.

discuss + object (no preposition)

Let's discuss the plan tomorrow.

Discuss takes its object directly — writing about is the trap.

03Trap 5–6: time and direction

Time traps cluster around mornings and Mondays: in the morning but on Monday morning — the day wins. Call me at night, meet at noon. And home is special: go home, come home, arrive home take nothing at all. Writing go to home or back to home adds a word English never wants there.

Direction traps mirror them: arrive to is always wrong — arrive at small places, arrive in big ones. Get on the bus but get in the car. Wait at the bus stop, not in it. Each of these is a one-line rule; together they cover most travel and commuting sentences.

He goes — home right after work.

go home (no preposition)

He goes home right after work.

Home after go takes no preposition at all.

04Trap 7: marry with, divorce with

She married him — no with, no to. Divorced him, likewise. Chinese speakers add with because of 和……结婚, but English marry is transitive like discuss. Contrast this with get married to him, where to is required. One verb form drops the preposition, the other demands it: marry him, get married to him.

À VOUS

Faites le lien.

Lisez la situation avant de choisir. Le pourquoi compte autant que la réponse.

Name the stop as a waiting point.
MINI-TEST 1

He is waiting ? the bus stop.

Name the stop as a waiting point.

Choisissez une préposition. Découvrez le pourquoi.

Voir la réponse

at · Waiting points take at.

Marry takes its object directly.
MINI-TEST 2

She married ? her classmate last year.

Marry takes its object directly.

Choisissez une préposition. Découvrez le pourquoi.

Voir la réponse

Sans préposition · Marry him — no preposition. (Get married to him would need to.)

Pour aller plus loin

Nous créons ces exemples avec l'aide de l'IA. L'usage dépend du contexte ; ces schémas ne couvrent pas tout. Poursuivez avec les références.

Notre méthode · Suggérer une correction

Un peu de répétition. Un lien plus fort.

Poursuivez avec des exercices ciblés et la révision des erreurs dans l'appli.

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