hit someboby in/on the face

[BrunaBC]

Hello,

Using prepositions is always puzzling to me. Could someone please tell me which prep. should I use in this sentence?

- They hit him in/on the face?

I belive ON is correct but I cannot tell if IN is incorrect here.

Thank you.

 

[Rover_KE]

We hit somebody in the face or in the eye. However, we hit them on the nose or on the chin.

Rover

 

[BrunaBC]

Thank you Rover. But it's not quite clear yet, because I can consider the face as a surface, can't I?

 

[emsr2d2]

You can consider it to be anything you like, but the standard expression is "He hit/punched/smacked/walloped me in the face". Prepositions aren't always logical and don't always fit a pattern. Sometimes, you just have to learn them.

 

[5jj]

Thank you Rover. But it's not quite clear yet, because I can consider the face as a surface, can't I?

Forget 'surfaces'. Rover has given two places that we hit somebody on. We hit people in most other parts of the body, though you can tap somebody on the shoulder/back and pat a child on the head. Don't look too hard for systems that aren't there.