# in bed, in/on the bed



## KYC

Hi there:
I am not very clear about the difference between the phrases:*in bed* (or in the bed ?)and *on the bed* for native speakers.
Could you enlight it for me?
Thanks for your help!


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## tannen2004

For me, "in bed" is for people (and possibly animals) implies that one is under the covers (sheets, blankets, etc.) while "on the bed" would be mostly for things and it is literally on top of the covers.  People can lie "on the bed" but it suggests to me that they are not covered with blankets.


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## KYC

Thanks for tannen2004's clarification.
One more question, I wonder I should say :in bed or in the bed.
Thanks a lot!


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## Welshie

"In bed" is general. "He is in bed" means he has gone to his room and is probably asleep. "He is in the bed" means he is in a specific bed - that bed there, for example.


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## KYC

Thanks for Welshie's answer!


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## Thomas Tompion

I also think that we say 'in the bed' for things which shouldn't be there. My French exchange put a lobster in the bed; there are bugs in the bed; I found a snake in the bed.

1. The child was in the bed, is different from 2. The child was in bed. In 2. the bed is the child's normal bed, in 1. it isn't.


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## KYC

Thanks for Thomas Tompion's clarification!


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## KYC

Hi there:
Now I wonder if I may say it:
She is reading a novel in bed.
What I want to express is the girl is sitting on the bed and reading a novel under the covers  . 
Could you check it for me?
Thanks a lot!


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## panjandrum

_She is reading a novel in bed._
She is lying in the bed, reading the novel.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by _sitting on the bed and reading a novel under the covers._  If she is sitting on the bed she is not under the covers.
Perhaps you mean she is sitting up in bed reading a novel.
I'm sure you don't mean that the novel is under the covers 
______________________________________________________

Many questions about prepositions have been asked many times in this forum.
You can find them easily by using the WR dictionary and looking up preposition bed
Preposition: I often have to sleep on or in her bed ?
Preposition: You should be in/on the bed
Preposition: On bed/In bed


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## Norzog

It's entirely possible to sit in the bed and still be under cover -) (now that sounds great), and I would say that it's quite usual.

But if it is not, you could emphasize it using 'the' in the sentence, like it's not really common to see her reading in the bed. Maybe that she is lonely or something.


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## KYC

Thanks for panjandrum's help!
I checked them but I still wonder what the preposition is on or in in my sentence.
The reason is that the girl in my sentence is sitting on the bed and also under the covers.( I remember that the rule says :in implies that one is under the covers )
So I wonder what preposition I should use in my sentnece She is reading a novel in bed. ( My intuiton , I am not positive,though).
Could you help me?
Thanks a lot!


> It's entirely possible to sit in the bed and still be under cover


So does it mean normally people should not read in the bed, so I should say She is reading a novel in the bed. ?
Thanks a lot!


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## Nunty

I don't understand what you mean by "sitting on the bed". "On the bed" means on top of the covers. If she is "under the covers", then by definition she is "in bed".

Are you describing a someone who is reading after she is supposed to have turned off the light and has stuck the book under the covers to read by the light of a flashlight?


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## Thomas Tompion

It strikes me as possible, granted the growing popularity of duvets, that someone should go to lie on their bed in the daytime and read a book under the duvet, finding themself a little cold. I wouldn't say they were in bed, because it's the middle of the day and they aren't ailing. The problem is that a duvet is a cover, and only perhaps in loose language could one be called 'the covers'. If the covers are sheets and blankets, then I think if one is under the covers it would be hard to say that one isn't in bed, except, perhaps, if one remained fully clothed.


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## KYC

Thanks for Nun-translator's answer!


> Are you describing a someone who is reading after she is supposed to have turned off the light and has stuck the book under the covers to read by the light of a flashlight?


No, what I want to express is someone whose gesture is sitting not lying under the covers and the light in the space is still on.


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## Nunty

OK, then she is sitting up under the covers and reading a novel. She is not reading under the covers if the book is on top of the blankets and her body is under them.


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## johndot

KYC, in order to help we need to know precisely what the scene looks like.
 
Do you mean that ‘she is sitting on the side of the bed with her feet on the floor’? Or do you mean that ‘she is sitting cross-legged in the centre of the bed’? 
In either case you would have to say “she is sitting on the bed with the covers *around* her.”


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## panjandrum

HERE is a picture of a woman sitting up in bed, under the covers, playing cards.


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## KYC

Thanks for all of your help!


> HERE is a picture of a woman sitting up in bed, under the covers, playing cards


Thanks for panjandrum's #17 post.Yes, it is the gesture that I want to express but she is reading a novel rather than playing cards.
So may I say
:She is reading a novel in the bed.

Or do I need to use "sit":?
She is sitting in the bed with a blanket, reading a novel .
Thanks for all of your help sincerely!!!


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## johndot

I think there’s only one way to describe the scene in the photo:
 
“She is sitting *up* in bed reading a book.”
 
(She must have very good eyesight, because it’s awfully dark!)


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## panjandrum

KYC said:


> So may I say
> :She is reading a novel in the bed.


From this sentence she might be lying down in the bed.

If the position of the woman in my post #17 is what you are trying to describe, except that your woman is reading, then:
_She is sitting up in bed, reading a novel._
or
_She is sitting in bed, reading a novel._


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## KYC

Thanks for johndot's and panjandrum's help! 
Because of your help kindly,I learn more.
Thanks again.


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## Bb Kelvin

[Threads have been merged at this point.  DonnyB - moderator]

in the bed
in bed
on the bed

what are they different?every English teachers answers are different so i want to know foreigner answer


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## zaffy

Are my intepretations fine? Ihave trouble distinguishing between the first two.

_When I went into the room, she was reading a novel in bed. -_ Under the covers, in her own bed.
_When I went into the room, she was reading a novel in the bed. _Under the covers, in the bed that happened to be in that room
_When I went into the room, she was reading a novel on the bed. - _On the covers.


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## Andygc

Your first one could be said for any bedroom on the planet. "In bed" does not tell you who owns the bed. It's an adverbial phrase of place. The second one is insignificantly different in that the bed is, grammatically, a specific bed. There is not really an actual difference in meaning.


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## zaffy

Andygc said:


> There is not really an actual difference in meaning.


So I believe most native speakers would say "in bed" in casual conversations, wouldn't they?


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## zaffy

Thomas Tompion said:


> I found a snake in the bed.


If I said "in bed" in this example, it would sound like the snake was asleep like a human, wouldn't it?


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## sound shift

Yes.


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## zaffy

sound shift said:


> Yes.


Were you replying to #25 or #26? Or both


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## sound shift

zaffy said:


> Were you replying to #25 or #26? Or both


26.


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## Andygc

zaffy said:


> So I believe most native speakers would say "in bed" in casual conversations, wouldn't they?



I would.


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## Roxxxannne

zaffy said:


> So I believe most native speakers would say "in bed" in casual conversations, wouldn't they?


To me that depends on whether the person is under the covers or lying on top of them.
I spent the afternoon on the bed: I was fully dressed, with my shoes off, lying on top of the sheets and whatever other bedding is on the bed; possibly I pulled the top blanket over my feet if they're a little cold.

I spent the day in bed: my body is directly on top of the bottom sheet.  Everything else that normally covers the bed is on top of me.


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## Myridon

zaffy said:


> If I said "in bed" in this example, it would sound like the snake was asleep like a human, wouldn't it?


If I found a snake sleeping in its hole in the ground, I could say that it's in bed because it's sleeping in the place where it sleeps even though it doesn't sleep in a bed.


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## ksds

sound shift said:


> Yes.


What if the snake was found under the covers of a bed? Wouldn't that imply the snake was in bed? (Sleeping or not, I don't see a difference in this case).


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## ksds

Also, if you are sitting *on* a chair without armrests (not sure if _armrests_ is correct here, or just arms would do), you are sitting _*on a chair*_. If you are sitting _*in*_ an armchair, you are sitting _*in a chair*_.

Now I'm wondering if the same applies to a bed. Say it's a hospital bed with support on both sides so the person doesn't fall from it, isn't this person lying_* in*_ bed even if on top of the sheets?


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## sound shift

ksds said:


> Now I'm wondering if the same applies to a bed. Say it's a hospital bed with support on both sides so the person doesn't fall from it, isn't this person lying_* in*_ bed even if on top of the sheets?


No. that person isn't _in bed._


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## ksds

sound shift said:


> No. that person isn't _in bed._



So, what's the logic here? If a person is sitting _in an armchair, _but not _in bed _(if this bed has "arms", as in the example given)?


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## Myridon

ksds said:


> What if the snake was found under the covers of a bed? Wouldn't that imply the snake was in bed? (Sleeping or not, I don't see a difference in this case).


Unless it's a pet snake, your bed is not the snake's normal sleeping place. It's not in bed. It has just found a convenient spot for a nap. When it's in its sleeping spot in its lair or cage, then it's in bed.


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## Roxxxannne

ksds said:


> What if the snake was found under the covers of a bed? Wouldn't that imply the snake was in bed? (Sleeping or not, I don't see a difference in this case).


It's in a bed/your bed/ the bed in the guest room/etc.


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## Chasint

*"In bed" only refers to humans. Usually it refers to adults and older children - not to babies.*

Note that, generally speaking, only people who are capable of 'going to bed' are considered to be 'in bed' when they get there.

My husband is in bed.
My teenage daughter is in bed.
I've put the baby down for the night.
I've put my two-year-old to bed.
The baby is asleep in his cot.
John is in hospital_ (bed is assumed)_

There was a loaded gun in bed 
There was a loaded gun in the bed 

Some people may anthropomorphise their pets but even so we rarely use "in bed" for a pet.

Fido, our faithful dog, was in his bed when we got home.

Fido, our faithful dog, was in our bed when we got home.

Fido, our faithful dog, was in the cat's bed when we got home.

Fido, our faithful dog, was in bed when we got home.


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## Roxxxannne

ksds said:


> So, what's the logic here? If a person is sitting _in an armchair, _but not _in bed _(if this bed has "arms", as in the example given)?


The person is in the chair because they are somewhat enclosed  or contained by the armrests, the way a person in a bed is enclosed or contained by the covers.


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## ksds

Roxxxannne said:


> The person is in the chair because they are somewhat enclosed  or contained by the armrests, the way a person in a bed is enclosed or contained by the covers.



Exactly, which is why I posted the example with a bed with some form of enclosure. I'm just applying the same logic we use for chair/armchair for a bed.

I understand that these are not the same and that it would be rare, if at all possible, for a native speaker to say "he's in bed/in the bed/in a bed" when referring to someone lying on a hospital bed with rails (on top of the covers and awake).

The way I understood this topic, is how you described it: *in the chair because they are somewhat enclosed.*

But, after I read some members' posts, I can see how this rule doesn't really work when refering to a bed, and that the fact of being asleep or awake has a lot to do with it (and being human/not a baby, apparently).


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## ksds

Myridon said:


> Unless it's a pet snake, your bed is not the snake's normal sleeping place. It's not in bed. It has just found a convenient spot for a nap. When it's in its sleeping spot in its lair or cage, then it's in bed.


I thought _in bed _could mean someone/something is sleeping/lying in a bed (under covers), but I didn't know it has to mean that. Thank you.


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