「在」は必ずしも in ではない：中国語話者が陥る7つの罠

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?

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.

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.

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.

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