In/on the mountains.

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ratóncolorao

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Hello,

What is the difference between "on the mountains" and "in the mountains"?

Thank you
 

ratóncolorao

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You can be on a/the mountain and in the mountains.

Could you, please, tell me the differences that we may find depending on the preposition we use?

Thank you.
 

BobSmith

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Could you, please, tell me the differences that we may find depending on the preposition we use?

[not a teacher]

“in the mountains” means to be in the vicinity of mountains or in a mountainous area. “on the mountain” means to be literally on the surface of a specific mountain. (I also thought that the latter phrase was mountaineering jargon, but I can’t find evidence of this when googling.) I don’t think you’ll find “on the mountains” too often, outside of something like, “We left our gear as we went, so in a sense, parts of us were left on the mountains.”
 
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