zeropreposition

Zeropreposition is a linguistic term describing the absence of a preposition in a construction where one would typically be expected to express a relational meaning, such as location, direction, time, or manner. In languages that rely on explicit prepositions, a zero preposition occurs when the relation is conveyed without inserting a discrete preposition, often with the help of lexical items, word order, or morphological markings instead.

Common contexts for zero prepositions include locative or directional expressions built around a locative noun or adverb. For example, in English you can say “I'm going home” or “We walked downtown,” where the location or direction is expressed without a preceding preposition. In such cases the noun or adverb functions as a locative complement rather than a prepositional phrase. Other examples include adverbial uses like “inside” when used without a following noun (indoors) or simple directional terms that function independently of a preposition.

Cross-linguistic occurrence varies. Some languages rely heavily on case marking or postpositions rather than separate prepositions, making what might be considered a zero preposition a regular part of grammar. In others, zero prepositions are more idiomatic or restricted to specific verbs, nouns, or fixed expressions. Researchers distinguish zeropreposition from related phenomena such as preposition omission due to ellipsis or from preposition stranding in phrasal verbs.

See also: null adjective, null article, adposition, preposition stranding, locative expression.