Learn Hardcore Chinese: Wǒ hé tā zài gōngsī pángbiān liáotiān, nǐ lái ma? - She and I are chatting near the company; are you coming?

Here 在 is a preposition meaning “at/in,” introducing the location 在公司旁边. It is not the progressive marker in this sentence. To explicitly mark an ongoing action, you can use 正在 before the verb: 我和她正在公司旁边聊天. Context alone often makes the “now” meaning clear.

Why is the location before the verb? Could I say “我和她聊天在公司旁边”?

In Chinese, place phrases usually come before the main verb. The natural pattern is: Subject + 在 + place + Verb. So 我和她在公司旁边聊天 is correct; 我和她聊天在公司旁边 is unnatural.

Does 和 mean “and” or “with” here?

It functions like “with”: 我和她…聊天 = “I chat with her.” 和 also links nouns as “and” (e.g., 我和她 = “she and I”), and in many contexts it overlaps with 跟.

What’s the difference between 和 and 跟?

They’re largely interchangeable when meaning “with.” 跟 feels a bit more colloquial. So 我跟她在公司旁边聊天 is just as natural as 我和她在公司旁边聊天.

Do I need 的 in 公司旁边? Should it be 公司的旁边?

With location words like 旁边/里面/外面/附近, the 的 is usually dropped: 公司旁边 is most natural. 公司的旁边 is grammatical but less common in everyday speech.

Does the sentence definitely mean “we are chatting right now”?

Not necessarily. Chinese doesn’t have tense inflections. It can mean present, past, or planned, depending on context. To be explicit about “right now,” add 现在 or 正在: 我们现在在公司旁边聊天 / 我们正在公司旁边聊天.

How is 你来吗？ different from “Will you come?” vs “Can you come?” vs “Are you coming?”

你来吗？ neutral yes/no “Are you coming (here/to us)?”
你会来吗？ “Will you come?” or “Do you think you’ll come?” (possibility)
你能来吗？ “Can you come?” (ability/permission)
你要来吗？ “Do you want/plan to come?” (intention)

Why 来 and not 去?

来 indicates movement toward the speaker’s location. The speaker is already at 公司旁边, inviting the listener to come there. Use 去 for movement away from the speaker’s location.

What’s the nuance difference between 你来吗？ and 你来不来？

你来吗？ is a neutral yes/no question. 你来不来？ uses the A-not-A pattern and pushes for a decision (“Are you coming or not?”), which can sound more direct/urgent.

How about 过来? Could I say 你过来吗？

Yes. 过来 emphasizes the motion toward the speaker across some distance or boundary. 你过来吗？ feels a bit more “come over (to here)” than plain 来.

Can I say 我在公司旁边和她聊天 instead of 我和她在公司旁边聊天?

Yes. Both are natural. You can put the “with-person” phrase (跟/和 + someone) before or after the place phrase: 我和她在公司旁边聊天 / 我在公司旁边和她聊天.

What’s the difference between 旁边, 附近, and 边上?

旁边: right next to/beside.
附近: nearby area, not necessarily immediately next to.
边上: colloquial for “by the side,” similar to 旁边 (common in some regions).

How do I say “chat with someone about [topic]”?

“Chat with someone”: 跟/和 + 人 + 聊天
“Chat about [topic]”: 跟/和 + 人 + 聊 + 话题 (use 聊, not 聊天, to take an object) Examples: 跟她聊天; 跟她聊工作; softening: 聊聊 / 聊一会儿 / 聊聊天.

Do 他 and 她 sound different?

No. Both are pronounced tā (first tone). In speech, context clarifies gender; in writing, 他 (he), 她 (she), 它 (it) differ by character.

Is 吗 always used for yes/no questions?

Use 吗 to turn a statement into a polar question: 你来吗？ Don’t use 吗 with question words: say 你什么时候来？, not 你什么时候来吗？

Is 聊天儿 a thing? I’ve seen an extra 儿.

Yes. In Beijing/erhua contexts, 聊天儿 (liáotiānr) is common; it means the same as 聊天.

How could I make the invitation softer or more polite than 你来吗？

要不要来（一下）？
有空的话来一下？
方便来吗？ These sound friendlier/less abrupt, depending on the relationship.

Where do time expressions go if I add one?

Time typically comes before place: Subject + Time + 在 + Place + Verb. Example: 我和她今天在公司旁边聊天，你来吗？