Tā zài gōngyuán ménkǒu hē kāfēi.

He is drinking coffee at the park entrance.

Breakdown of Tā zài gōngyuán ménkǒu hē kāfēi.

• 喝hē: to drink
• 他tā: he
• 在zài: at
• 咖啡kāfēi: coffee

Questions & Answers about Tā zài gōngyuán ménkǒu hē kāfēi.

Is 在 here marking location or the progressive “be doing” meaning?

It marks location (“at”). The sentence is “He [is] at the park entrance drinking coffee.”

• Location use: 他在公园门口喝咖啡 (Tā zài gōngyuán ménkǒu hē kāfēi).
• Progressive use (no place specified): 他在喝咖啡 or, if you want both location and ongoingness, use 正在: 他正在公园门口喝咖啡. Avoid doubling 在 (e.g., 他在公园门口在喝咖啡) in standard speech.

Can I put the place at the end, like “他喝咖啡在公园门口”?

That word order is uncommon/marked. In Chinese, adverbials such as place normally go before the verb:

• Natural: 他在公园门口喝咖啡.
• End-position place is only used in special emphatic styles; avoid it as a learner.

Do I need 在 before 公园门口, or can I say “他公园门口喝咖啡”?

You generally need 在 to introduce the location adverbial. 他在公园门口喝咖啡 is standard. Omitting 在 makes it sound like a noun pile and is not normal in this structure.

What’s the difference between 门, 门口, 大门, 入口, and 门外?