Why no use of locative preposition?


In this sentence `俺の机には置くな`, the preposition that expresses 'on' (上) doesn't
appear.

Is it common in Japanese?

In English ( _put **on** the table_), French ( _mets **sur** la table_), and
Mandarin (放在桌子 **上** ), this semantic item should appear, so it sounds to me a
bit counterintuitive.




上 does not directly mean "on". It means ["above", "upper", " _ **on**_ top",
etc](https://jisho.org/search/%E4%B8%8A). Omitting it in the Japanese is the
same as omitting "top" in English.

>   * 俺の机[に]{L}は置くな → Don't put it _**on**_ my desk
>   * 俺の机[の上に]{LLL}は置くな → Don't put it _**on top of**_ my desk
>

If something is _**on**_ the desk, you know it must be on _**top**_ of it
(unless you're talking about another universe with different gravity; some
kind of magnetic desk; etc. In those cases, you might have to specify which
side/face "on" refers to).

