…旁邊 / 旁边
pángbiān
In Chinese, 'next to' can be expressed as …旁邊 / 旁边 (pángbiān). If unsure, use …旁邊 / 旁边. Wiktionary also lists …比鄰 / 比邻 (bǐlín) and 在…旁邊 / 在…旁边 (zài…pángbiān).
Meaning: beside, alongside (prep)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| …旁邊 / 旁边 | pángbiān |
| …比鄰 / 比邻 | bǐlín |
| 在…旁邊 / 在…旁边 | zài…pángbiān |
The term 旁邊 acts as a noun-based locative that functions as a postposition, meaning it must follow the object it describes, such as 'Person + 旁邊'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 旁邊 (pángbiān) is composed of 旁 (páng), meaning 'side/vicinity' and 邊 (biān), meaning 'side/edge/border'.
Which one should you use?
While 旁邊 is used for everyday physical proximity, 比鄰 is a more formal, literary term often used to describe neighboring buildings, cities or even metaphorical relationships. To express being physically adjacent to something or someone in an informal way, you can use 挨着 (āi zhe).
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 'next to' as a prepositional phrase to indicate location, you must use the structure 在 (zài) + [Noun] + 旁邊 (pángbiān).
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is pángbiān.
Did you know?
- If you want to say someone is 'next to' you in a crowded subway, using 挨着 (āi zhe) implies a physical touch or pressing against you, whereas 旁邊 (pángbiān) implies they are merely in your proximity.
- The word 邊 (biān) in 旁邊 can be used to describe someone who is 'on the periphery' or marginalized in a social group.
- The term 鄰里 (línlǐ), derived from the concept of being 'next to' one another, describes the entire social community rather than just individual neighbors.
Examples in context
- 她住在我隔壁。She lives next to me.
- 我的办公室在餐厅的旁边。My office is next to the cafeteria.
- 他们的房子紧邻海边。Their house is next to the seaside.
- 我坐在他旁边。I am sitting next to him.
- 小明的房间挨着小红的房间。Xiao Ming's room is next to Xiao Hong's room.
- 这家餐厅很靠近火车站。This restaurant is close to the train station.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “next to” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
