這三個常用介詞千萬別混淆！

作爲一個以英語爲母語的人，你可能會意識到in,on與at之間存在差異。而大多數學生則擲骰子決定該用哪一個。好吧，收起你的骰子，讓我們來學習這三個單詞之間的區別。

我認爲想一想這些介詞的定義是很有幫助的。只是作爲一個提示，介詞是用來辨別句中位置關係的語體。因此，如果你在談論一個對象或一個人，並且你想包括一個地方，那麼介詞可以幫助你來表述。

IN

在...裏面

So first, let us look at the word in. This word means surrounded by or encircled by. If you want to say something is encased or surrounded by anything, this is your go to preposition.

首先，讓我們看看in這個單詞。這個詞的意思是被包圍或被圍繞。如果你想說某物被什麼東西包圍或圍繞，這就是你要找的介詞。

Right now, I am in my room.

現在，我在房間裏。

There are four walls, a ceiling and a floor. I am surrounded by the room.

這兒有四堵牆，一個天花板和一個地板。我被整個房間包圍。

This also works for cities and countries. Go ahead look outside. What country are you surrounded by? Then you are in this country!

這也適用於城市和國家。往前看外面。你周圍是哪個國家？那麼你就在這個國家！

I am in the United States of America. I am in New York City.

我在美利堅合衆國。我在紐約。

What about water? Yes, that too.

水呢？是的，也一樣。

She is in the pool. She is in the ocean. He is in the lake or pond or bathtub.

她在游泳池裏。她在海里。他在湖裏、池塘或浴缸裏。

Again, if you are surrounded by the location, then you are in that location.

同樣，如果你被某一地點所包圍，那麼你就處在那個位置上。

If you say that you are in a door (I hope that you are not), then as a fluent English speaker, I understand that you have broken the door and you are somehow trapped in the door.

如果你說你在一個門裏（我希望你沒這麼說過），然後作爲一個流利的說英語的人，我知道你打破了門，你不知怎麼被困在門上。

Here are some more examples:

下面是一些例子：

I am in bed. (The covers are over me or I am under a blanket).

我在牀上。（被子蓋在我身上，或者我在毯子下面）。

You can find the answer in the book. (The answer is surrounded by the book, this is easier to imagine if the book is closed).

你可以在書中找到答案。（答案在書裏，如果這本書合起來就更容易想象了）。

He looks so cute in the picture. (The outline or frame of the photo is surrounding him).

他在照片裏看起來很可愛。（照片的輪廓或框架圍繞着他）。

Betty is in school. (This means that she is a student and not physically at the school).

貝蒂在上學。（這意味着她是學生而不是單純地在學校裏）。

ON

在...上面

Now let’s talk about on as a preposition. For me, the word on means specific location. I am not talking about being surrounded by something. I am focusing on a more specific location.

現在我們來談談介詞on。對我來說，on是指特定的位置。我不是說被什麼東西包圍着。我把重點放在一個更具體的位置上。

For example

例如

I am in my room, but I am on a chair.

我在房間裏，但我坐在椅子上。

I have given you a more specific location to help you locate me.

我給了你一個更具體的位置來幫助你找到我。

Perhaps, you need to find keys that belong to someone. You ask them in English, Where are your keys? They will answer, The keys are on the table.

也許，你需要找到屬於某人的鑰匙。你用英語問他們，你的鑰匙在哪裏？他們會回答的，鑰匙在桌子上。

If they were to answer you like this, The keys are in the living room. It might take you a little longer to find those keys, since it wasn’t so specific.

如果他們像這樣回答你：鑰匙就在客廳裏。你可能要花更長的時間才能找到那些鑰匙，因爲回答不是那麼的具體。

Here are some more examples:

下面是一些例子：

I am on the bed. (I am NOT under the covers or blankets).

我在牀上。（我不在被子或毯子下面）。

Her office is on the third floor. (A specific location in the building).

她的辦公室在三層。（建築物中的特定位置）。

I often hear my students tell me, My workbook is on my house. In English, this means that they have thrown their workbook on top of their house, on the roof. Why did they do that?

我經常聽到我的學生告訴我，我的工作手冊在我的房子上。在英語中，這意味着他們把他們的練習本扔在房頂上。他們爲什麼要那樣做？

Well, thankfully they did not throw it on their house. They meant to say, My workbook is at my house.

謝天謝地，他們沒有把錢丟在房頂上。他們的意思是說，我的工作手冊在我家裏。

AT

在...

This brings me to the next preposition at. At means general location. If the place that you are talking about is big, like an airport, hotel or even your house (with many rooms and locations) then you should use at.

這就引出了下一個介詞at。它指的是大體的位置。如果你所談論的地方很大，比如機場，旅館，甚至你的房子（有許多房間和地點），那麼你應該使用at。

This lets the listener know your general location.

這能讓聽衆知道你的大體位置。

For example

例如

My wife calls and says, Where are you?.

我妻子打電話說，你在哪裏？

I would answer, I am at home. (Or even I am home)

我會回答，我在家裏。（甚至“我在家”這樣回答也可以）

If she wanted to know more specifically, (for example, she is home and she can’t find me) she would say, Yes, but where in the house?

如果她想更具體地知道，比如說，她在家，卻找不到我，她會說問：是的，但是在家裏的哪塊兒呢？

I would respond, I am in the kitchen.. The preposition in lets her know that I am surrounded by the kitchen and if she wants to find me, then she can go there.

我會回答：我在廚房裏。介詞in讓她知道我在廚房裏，如果她想找我，她就可以去那裏。

We can use at for the following situations:

我們可以在下列情況下使用at：

They are at the beach. (This is a big location).

他們在海灘上。（這是個大地方）。

They are at the airport.

他們在機場。

I am at the hotel or conference.

我在旅館或在開會。

Sara is at work. (This lets me know her general location).

薩拉在上班。（這讓我知道她的大體位置）。

Someone is at the door. (There are many different places someone can stand while next to a door. Just move 1 cm and you are at a “new” location.

有人在門口。（在門旁邊有許多不同的地方可以站着。）只要移動1釐米，你就站在一個“新”的位置。

Bob is at school. (You can go to this school and you will find Bob there).

鮑伯在上學。（你可以去這所學校，你會發現鮑伯在那裏）。

Now, at can also be used for time. I argue that the position of the earth and the sun are at a general location (given the huge size of the two objects). This is just my way of simplifying the way to remember when to use the preposition at.

現在告訴你，AT也可以用在時間前。我認爲地球和太陽同處於在一個大體的位置上（考慮到兩個物體的巨大尺寸）。這正是我簡化使用介詞短語的方法。

You can still think of the definition for at as a general location for time.

你仍然可以把它定義爲時間上的大體位置。

So, I have English class at 8am.

所以，我在8點上英語課。

BUT

但是

I have English class on Tuesday. (It is a specific day of the week).

我星期二有英語課。（這是指一週中的特定一天）。

I love to relax on the weekend. (It is a specific part of the week).

我喜歡在週末放鬆一下。（這是指本週的一部分）。

My birthday is on December 7th. (This is a specific day in December).

我的生日是12月7日。（這是十二月中的某一天）。

My birthday is in December. (My birthday is on the 7th, but it is surrounded by the other days in the month.

我的生日在十二月。（我的生日在十二月份的第七天，但這一天被這個月的其他日子包圍着。

I was living in France in 2007. (The entire year of 2007 was surrounding the time that I lived in France).

我2007年住在法國。（整整2007年都是我在法國的時候）。

I have breakfast in the morning. (Morning starts from about 6am until 11:59.).

我早上吃早飯。（早上是指從早上6點到11:59一段時間）。

So we use the preposition “in” because this is a time that is surrounding you during that time period.

所以我們使用介詞“in”，因爲這是一個伴隨着你的時間段。

The same goes for afternoon and evening.

下午和晚上也一樣。

Night is different because the darkness is changing (you know with daylight savings time and such). So you say “at” when using night.

黑夜是不同的，因爲黑暗在變化的（你知道白天節約時間等）。所以你用晚上說“在”。

Please, be careful when driving at night.

晚上開車時要小心。

There are some other things to keep in mind when talking about time.

談論時間還有一些其他的事情要記住。

Let us say that you want to plan a brunch Monday morning. Because we have the specific day of the week “Monday”, we give preference to that word and the preposition is on.

我們打個比方說，你在星期一早上計劃吃早午餐。因爲我們有一週中特定的一天“星期一”，我們偏愛那個詞，所以用介詞on。

I will have brunch on Monday morning.

我星期一上午吃早午餐。

Here are some more examples:

下面是一些例子：

She went dancing on Saturday night.

她星期六晚上去跳舞了。

They went to a restaurant on Friday evening.

星期五晚上他們去了一家餐館。

When talking about future time (you know what you plan to do later), be sure to use the preposition in.

當談論將來的時間（你知道你以後打算做什麼）時，一定要使用介詞in。

For example

例如

I will see you in two weeks.

我兩週後見你。

She will graduate in 4 years.

她將在4年內畢業。

When talking about TRANSPORTATION, the two prepositions on and in follow different rules. Don’t worry, they are pretty simple.

當談到交通時，兩個介詞on和in都遵循不同的規則。別擔心，它們很簡單。

ON: When you CAN WALK around on the transportation.

你可以在交通工具上到處走動。

The idea here is if the mode of transportation has enough room to walk around, then use on.

這裏的意思是，如果交通工具上有足夠的空間走動，就使用on。

For example:

例如：

I was on the plane when you called me. (There is enough room on a plane to walk around).

你打電話給我時我在飛機上。（飛機上有足夠的空間走動）。

I was on the bus yesterday. (Again, there is sufficient room to be able to move around with your feet on a bus).

昨天我在公共汽車上。（同樣，你有足夠的空間在公共汽車上走動）。

IN: When you can NOT WALK around on the transportation.

使用in的情況：當你不能在交通工具上走來走去的時候。

If the vehicle too small to walk around, then you need to use in.

如果車輛太小你不能在上面走動，那麼你需要使用in。

For example

例如

Get in the car. (There is not enough space in a car to walk around).

上車。（車裏沒有足夠的空間走動）。

Please, be careful when you get in the taxi.

當你上出租車時要小心。

The opposite follows the same rule. The opposite of ON = OFF.

反義詞則遵循相同的規則。上車的反義詞=下車。

So you get off a bus.

所以你下了公共汽車。

The opposite of IN = OUT

So you get out of a car.

所以你從車裏出來。