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How to ask for and give directions in Chinese visualisation

How to ask for and give directions in Chinese

Navigate China: Transportation and Directions Guide: How to ask for and give directions in Chinese
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To ask for and give directions in Chinese, there are several useful phrases and vocabulary to know.

Asking for Directions

Common polite ways to start questions include:

  • 请问 (qǐngwèn) — “May I please ask…”
  • 不好意思 (bù hǎo yìsi) — “Excuse me…”

Key question patterns:

  • ”…在哪？” (…zài nǎ?) — “Where is…?” Example: 洗手间在哪？(Xǐshǒujiān zài nǎ?) — “Where is the restroom?”
  • “去…怎么走？” (Qù… zěnme zǒu?) — “How do I get to…?” Example: 去天安门怎么走？(Qù Tiānānmén zěnme zǒu?) — “How do I get to Tiananmen Square?”
  • ”…离这儿有多远？” (…lí zhèr yǒu duō yuǎn?) — “How far is … from here?”

Giving Directions

Important directional verbs and phrases include:

  • 在… (zài) — at…
  • 先…再… (xiān… zài…) — first… then…
  • 沿着…走 (yánzhe… zǒu) — go along…
  • 直走 (zhí zǒu) — go straight
  • 左转 / 左拐 (zuǒzhuǎn / zuǒguǎi) — turn left
  • 右转 / 右拐 (yòuzhuǎn / yòuguǎi) — turn right
  • 往…走 (wǎng… zǒu) — go toward…
  • 掉头 (diàotóu) — make a U-turn

Example of giving directions: 你走到第一个路口，往左转，就能看到图书馆了。 (Nǐ zǒu dào dì yī gè lùkǒu, wǎng zuǒ zhuǎn, jiù néng kàndào túshūguǎn le.) Walk to the first intersection, turn left, and you’ll see the library.

Polite ways to ask:

  • 请问，图书馆在哪儿？(Qǐngwèn, túshūguǎn zài nǎr?) — Excuse me, where is the library?
  • 不好意思，火车站怎么走？(Bù hǎo yìsi, huǒchēzhàn zěnme zǒu?) — Excuse me, how do I get to the train station?

These phrases and vocabulary form a practical foundation for asking and giving directions in Chinese in everyday situations.

References

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