<p>Essentially there is no obvious difference between the two sentences - 妈妈要她的孩子在家吃饭 = 妈妈要她的孩子在家<strong>里</strong>吃饭.</p>
<p><strong>里</strong>, the same as 裡 and 裏, refers to &quot;in, or inside of, a space domain&quot;, such as &quot;在這里(in/at here)&quot;, &quot;在那里(at there)&quot;. Here, 在家<strong>里</strong> = 在家, because the latter already has the implication of &quot;stay in/inside the home&quot;, which is an enclosed space, therefore, <strong>里</strong> is nonessential, or redundant, but not wrong either, if added.</p>
<p><strong>ADD:</strong></p>
<p>I want to <strong>eat at home</strong> [action+location]- 我想<strong>在家</strong>(里)<strong>吃</strong>(飯) [location+action]</p>
<p>Note the grammar differences. Contrary to the English, the correct Chinese sentence structure is to put the location (at where) in front of the action (do what), for example:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>我 &quot;在圖書館&quot; &quot;做功課&quot; - I am &quot;doing homework&quot; &quot;at the library&quot;.</p>
</li>
<li><p>她 &quot;在山坡上&quot; &quot;採茶&quot; - She is &quot;picking tea leafs&quot; &quot;on the hill&quot;.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Also note that the reverse is grammartically incorrect - 我想&quot;<strong>吃</strong>(飯)&quot; &quot;<strong>在家</strong>(里)&quot;. [Wrong]</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-11-24T13:57:35.363Z
This hasn't answered the part of the question about the word order “吃饭在家”
goPlayerJuggler
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-11-23T17:54:32.183Z
2022-11-24T14:36:04.070Z
2022-11-24T14:36:04.070Z
r13
<p>The mother wants her child to eat at home.<br />
那位母亲想要她的孩子在家吃饭。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-11-23T23:16:46.420Z
2022-11-23T23:16:46.420Z
Pedroski
<p>I've come across: 妈妈要她的孩子在家吃饭。
However, this feels a little unnatural to me. I feel that &quot;在家里吃饭“ or “吃饭在家” would be better. Firstly, am I correct that those word-orders would be more natural?</p>
<p>If so, then my second question is: why? 我要在家吃饭 seems like the best way to say &quot;I want to eat at home&quot;. If my feeling is right (which it may not be -- it's been a long time since I've been in a Chinese speaking environment), then what is going on with &quot;mom wants her child to eat at home?&quot; Why do I feel like this more complex sentence somehow requires the locative-phrase 在家 to either become 在家里 or to go after the verb-phrase 吃饭 as though it were a result complement?</p>

<grammar><word-order>
How would you say "The mother wants her child to eat at home."?
# How would you say "The mother wants her child to eat at home."?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-11-23)

I've come across: 妈妈要她的孩子在家吃饭。
However, this feels a little unnatural to me. I feel that "在家里吃饭“ or “吃饭在家” would be better. Firstly, am I correct that those word-orders would be more natural?

If so, then my second question is: why? 我要在家吃饭 seems like the best way to say "I want to eat at home". If my feeling is right (which it may not be -- it's been a long time since I've been in a Chinese speaking environment), then what is going on with "mom wants her child to eat at home?" Why do I feel like this more complex sentence somehow requires the locative-phrase 在家 to either become 在家里 or to go after the verb-phrase 吃饭 as though it were a result complement?

**Tags:** grammar, word-order

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-11-23. Score: 2

Essentially there is no obvious difference between the two sentences - 妈妈要她的孩子在家吃饭 = 妈妈要她的孩子在家**里**吃饭.

**里**, the same as 裡 and 裏, refers to "in, or inside of, a space domain", such as "在這里(in/at here)", "在那里(at there)". Here, 在家**里** = 在家, because the latter already has the implication of "stay in/inside the home", which is an enclosed space, therefore, **里** is nonessential, or redundant, but not wrong either, if added.

**ADD:**

I want to **eat at home** [action+location]- 我想**在家**(里)**吃**(飯) [location+action]

Note the grammar differences. Contrary to the English, the correct Chinese sentence structure is to put the location (at where) in front of the action (do what), for example:

* 我 "在圖書館" "做功課" - I am "doing homework" "at the library".
* 她 "在山坡上" "採茶" - She is "picking tea leafs" "on the hill".

Also note that the reverse is grammartically incorrect - 我想"**吃**(飯)" "**在家**(里)". [Wrong]

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: This hasn't answered the part of the question about the word order “吃饭在家”  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-11-23. Score: 0

The mother wants her child to eat at home.  
那位母亲想要她的孩子在家吃饭。


---

