Spatial prepositions (ที่, ใน, บน, ใต้)

Basic Spatial Prepositions

To describe exactly where an object is, Thai uses simple spatial prepositions directly before the location noun. The most common ones are:

• บน (on)
• ใน (in)
• ใต้ (under)

You can use these with the locative verb อยู่ (to be located) from the previous lesson. The structure is Subject + อยู่ + Preposition + Location.

Prepositions with Action Verbs

These prepositions are also used to describe where an action takes place, using verbs like นั่ง (to sit), นอน (to sleep), or วาง (to put). The prepositional phrase simply follows the verb.

When a verb takes an object (like putting an item down), the prepositional phrase comes after the object. The structure is Subject + Verb + Object + Preposition + Location.

Using ที่ (at)

The preposition ที่ means "at" and is used to talk about general locations or being at a specific place.

Asking "Where?" with Actions

Just as you learned to ask where something is located, you can use ที่ไหน (where) to ask where an action takes place. Place it at the very end of the sentence.