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Questions & Answers about zhōngwǔ tā zài gōngsī gōngzuò.
Why does the sentence start with the time word 中午?
Chinese often puts time expressions at the beginning to set the time frame (topic–comment style). Starting with 中午 emphasizes “as for noon…”. It’s also fine to put time after the subject: 他中午在公司工作. The meaning is the same, with slightly different emphasis.
Which word orders are natural here, and which are not?
Natural:
- 中午他在公司工作。
- 他中午在公司工作。
- (With a comma/pause) 中午，他在公司工作。
Unnatural:
- 他在公司中午工作。 (time is in the wrong place)
- 工作他在公司中午。 (scrambled)
Can I say 在中午 to mean “at noon”?
Usually no. Time-of-day words like 中午、上午、下午 don’t need 在. Say 中午他在公司工作. If you want a fuller phrase, use 中午的时候 or 在中午的时候 (more formal/longer): 中午的时候，他在公司工作.
What is 在 doing here?
Here 在 is a preposition introducing location: 在公司 = “at the company.” The structure is Location phrase + Verb: 在公司工作 = “work at the company.”
Is 在 here the same as the progressive “be doing” marker?
No. In this sentence 在 marks location. The progressive is typically 在/正在 + Verb. With both time and place, put the progressive before the verb: 他中午正在公司工作 (“At noon he is/was in the middle of working at the company”). Don’t say 他在公司在工作.
What’s the difference between 工作 and 上班?
- 工作 (to work; work) focuses on the activity of working: 他在公司工作.
- 上班 (to be on duty/go to work/be at work) focuses on being on shift/at one’s job: 他在公司上班. You can often use either, but 上班 can’t take an object, while 工作 can (e.g., 做IT工作).
Do I need 里 after 公司? (在公司里工作?)
里 is optional. 在公司工作 is already natural. 在公司里工作 slightly emphasizes being “inside” the company/building, but most of the time 里 is unnecessary.
Does 在公司工作 mean “work at the company” or “work for the company”?
It can mean either in English depending on context. If you specifically mean “for,” you can say 为公司工作 or 给公司工作 (the latter is more colloquial).
Why is there no aspect marker like 了?
With schedules/habits, Chinese often uses a bare verb: 中午他在公司工作 implies a habitual situation. If you’re talking about a specific completed instance, 了 can be used with a duration or context: 昨天中午他在公司工作了两小时. Without a duration, 工作了 is possible but less common.
How do I negate this—do I use 不 or 没?
- Habit/general truth: 不. Example: 中午他不在公司工作 (He doesn’t work at the company at noon—habitually).
- Specific past occasion: 没（有）. Example: 昨天中午他没在公司工作 (He didn’t work at the company at noon yesterday).
Can I drop the subject 他?
Yes, if it’s clear from context. 中午在公司工作 could be understood as “(He/they) work(s) at the company at noon.” Chinese allows subject omission when the referent is known.
If I mean “at a company” (unspecified), how do I say that?
Use a measure word: 他在一家公司工作 (“He works at a company”). For a specific one: 他在这家公司工作 (“this company”). The common measure word for companies is 家.
Why not say 工作在公司?
Location phrases normally come before the verb: 在公司工作. While you may see 工作在… in formal/written slogans (e.g., 工作在一线), everyday speech uses 在 + place + Verb.
Is 他在公司中午工作 acceptable?
No. Time expressions should come before the verb phrase, and typically before or after the subject: 他中午在公司工作 or 中午他在公司工作.
What about the pronoun—why 他 and not 她? Do they sound different?
Written forms differ (他 male, 她 female, 它 it), but all are pronounced tā in speech (first tone). In spoken Chinese you can’t hear the gender; the context or writing clarifies it.
Can I add a comma after 中午?
Yes, if you want a slight pause: 中午，他在公司工作。 Both with and without the comma are fine. The comma can make the time phrase feel more like a topic.
Is this sentence natural culturally, given that 中午 is usually lunchtime in China?
Grammatically it’s fine. Pragmatically, many people have a lunch/nap break (午休) around noon, so if he’s actually working then, you might also hear 中午他在公司加班/值班 (“works overtime/on duty at noon”). Context will make it sound natural.
How do I turn this into a question?
- Yes–no: 他中午在公司工作吗？
- Wh- (where): 他中午在哪儿工作？
- Wh- (when): 他什么时候在公司工作？