Ch 27 · Lesson 18Mandarin · Chapter 27 · Lesson 18 · Grammar primer
之间, 之中, 之内 and 之下
is between, and never takes in front (). , and are among, within and under a condition.
The short version
。Zhè shì wǒmen liǎng ge rén zhījiān de shì.
Why?Hide
(zhījiān), between, already holds the old (de) in its (zhī), so a second (de) doubles it: (wǒmen zhījiān), never (wǒmen de zhījiān). (zhōngjiān), the middle, is an ordinary noun and can take (de).
之间 (zhījiān): between
(zhījiān) goes after two named things or a group. It is the word for relationships, distances and differences:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
。 | Lǎoshī hé xuéshēng zhījiān de guānxì hěn hǎo. | Teachers and students get on well |
。 | Zhè shì wǒmen liǎng ge rén zhījiān de shì. | This is between the two of us |
。 | Běijīng hé Shànghǎi zhījiān yǒu hěn duō huǒchē. | Lots of trains run between Beijing and Shanghai |
(zhījiān) never takes (de) in front, because its already does that job: (wǒmen zhījiān), never . (zhōngjiān), the middle, is an ordinary noun and can: 。 (Tā zhàn zài liǎng ge rén de zhōngjiān.), he's standing between the two of them.
之中 (zhīzhōng), 之内 (zhīnèi) and 之下 (zhīxià)
The same (zhī) with a position word after it. All three are mostly abstract: among a group, within a limit, under a condition:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Zài zhèxiē fāngfǎ zhīzhōng, zhège zuì jiǎndān. | Of these methods, this one is simplest |
。 | Yí ge xīngqī zhīnèi wǒ huì gàosu nǐ. | I'll tell you within a week |
，。 | Zài lǎoshī de bāngzhù zhīxià, tā kǎo de hěn hǎo. | With his teacher's help, he did well |
The (zhī) often drops in these three: (zài zhèxiē fāngfǎ zhōng) and (zài lǎoshī de bāngzhù xià) are common too, and more everyday. For a real place, use the plain word: (zài zhuōzi shang), on the table.
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