Day 15: Directions — Learn Chinese in 30 Days

What You’ll Learn Today

Getting lost is a rite of passage in any new country. Today you’ll learn exactly how to ask for directions and — more importantly — understand the answer. Chinese directions follow a clear pattern once you know the key words.

Asking for Directions

The core question:

请问，[place] 在哪里？— Qǐng wèn, [place] zài nǎ lǐ? — Excuse me, where is [place]?

Or:

请问，怎么去 [place]？— Qǐng wèn, zěn me qù [place]? — Excuse me, how do I get to [place]?

Understanding the Answer

Chinese direction answers are very systematic. You’ll typically hear:

1. Turn instruction: 左转 (zuǒ zhuǎn) / 右转 (yòu zhuǎn)
2. Reference point: 红绿灯 (traffic light) / 路口 (intersection) / 旁边 (next to)
3. Distance: 不远 (bù yuǎn — not far) / 很近 (hěn jìn — very close)

Example directions you might hear:

一直走，到红绿灯右转，就在你左边。 Yī zhí zǒu, dào hóng lǜ dēng yòu zhuǎn, jiù zài nǐ zuǒ biān. Go straight, turn right at the traffic light, it’s on your left.

Location Words

Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning
里面	lǐ miàn	Inside
外面	wài miàn	Outside
上面	shàng miàn	Above / On top
下面	xià miàn	Below / Underneath
中间	zhōng jiān	In the middle
对面	duì miàn	Opposite / Across from

Sentence Patterns

Pattern 1: Asking if something is far

远吗？— Yuǎn ma? — Is it far? 不远，走路五分钟。— Bù yuǎn, zǒu lù wǔ fēn zhōng. — Not far, 5 minutes on foot.

Pattern 2: Asking for landmarks

附近有地铁站吗？— Fù jìn yǒu dì tiě zhàn ma? — Is there a metro station nearby?

Pattern 3: Confirming you understand

我明白了，谢谢！— Wǒ míng bái le, xiè xie! — I understand, thank you!

Cultural Note

In China, giving directions often uses landmarks rather than street names or compass directions. “Turn left at the KFC,” “the building next to the Bank of China,” “across from the park” are much more common than “go north on Nanjing Road.”

Chinese maps use north-up orientation by default (like Western maps), but verbally, Chinese people often use cardinal directions (东南西北 — east, south, west, north) much more than Westerners do. “Go east two blocks” is a normal thing to say.

Practice Exercise

Match the Chinese to the correct direction:

1. 左转 → ?
2. 右转 → ?
3. 直走 → ?
4. How do you ask if something is far?
5. How do you say “it’s next to the bank”?

Answers: 1) Turn left 2) Turn right 3) Go straight 4) 远吗？5) 在银行旁边。