"i was in china" vs "i was to china"

Question

"i was in china" vs "i was to china"

The phrase 'I was in China' is correct, while 'I was to China' is incorrect. In English, we use 'in' to indicate being inside a country or city. 'To' is used to indicate movement towards a place. Therefore, 'I was in China' is the appropriate phrase to use when referring to being inside the country of China.

Last Updated: March 24, 2024

Use 'in' to indicate being inside a country or city. In this case, 'I was in China' correctly conveys that the speaker was located within the country of China.

Examples:

I was in China last summer.
She lived in China for two years.
They are currently in China for a business trip.

Alternatives:

I traveled to China.
I visited China.
I went to China.

The preposition 'to' is used to indicate movement towards a place, not to indicate being inside a location.

Answer 1

i was in china

This phrase is correct in English.

Answer 2

i was to china

This phrase is incorrect in English.

"i was in china" vs "i was to china"

i was in china

i was to china

Related Comparisons