Directions in Chinese
Asking for directions in Chinese will be much easier after this free audio lesson. The Rocket Chinese team is here to arm you with the Chinese words and phrases you’ll need to find your way around a Chinese-speaking country.
Unfortunately it’s not quite as simple as learning the word for 'where' in Chinese and a few Chinese road signs - as you may have already guessed, understanding the directions you are given can be more challenging than asking the questions! But don’t worry, a little practice is all you need – listen to the Chinese pronunciation in the audio and say the Chinese words and phrases aloud, as you imagine yourself strolling around Shanghai or Beijing!
Resources for further reading:
Pronouncing directions in Chinese
Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record
Rocket Record lets you perfect your Chinese pronunciation. Just listen to the native speaker audio and then use the microphone icon to record yourself. Once you’re done, you’ll get a score out of 100 on your pronunciation and can listen to your own audio playback. (Use a headset mic for best results.) Problems? Click here!
请问，怎样才能找到火车站？
Where can I find the train station, please?
去火车站怎么走？
How do I get to the train station?
你知道火车站在哪儿吗？
Do you know where the train station is? (formal)
Another more complete way of asking for directions is by saying…
对不起，请问一下火车站在哪儿？
Excuse me please! Could you please tell me where the train station is? (formal)
麻烦你能告诉我火车站在哪儿吗？
Excuse me please! Could you please tell me where the train station is? (casual)
Here’s a list of some places you might like to go to and places you may pass on the way to getting there.
旅行社
The travel agency
马路
The street
购物中心
The shopping center
历史博物馆
The historic museum
警察局
The police station
医院
The hospital
公园
The park
市政府
The town/city/municipal hall
公共厕所
The public restrooms
市中心
The town/city center
市区
The downtown area
啤酒园
The beer garden
纪念碑
The monument
酒吧
The bar
Here are some words and phrases you might hear when asking for directions…
左边
Left
右边
Right
往左
To the left
往右
To the right
一直
Straight
在......尾
At the end of
在......头
At the beginning of
往西
To the west
往北
To the north
往南
To the south
往东
To the east
在拐角处
Around the corner
左边第一条街
The first street on your left.
右边第一条街
The first street on your right.
第二条街
The street after the next.
拐角
The corner
桥
The bridge
在……前边
In front of
在……隔壁
Next to
When someone gives you directions, they’ll tell you that you need to take such-and-such street; turn left, and then follow another street…
走
Take…
穿过
Cross
沿着......走
Go along......
往......走
Go towards......
Now, you might want to know whether it is far or not…
远吗？
Is it far?
远。
It's far.
不远。
It's not far.
近吗？
Is it close by?
近。
It's close by.
不近。
It's not close by.
Here are a few recommended Chinese lessons to try next!
- Talking about your emotions in Chinese is a great way to connect with Chinese.
- This lesson is all about describing your face in Chinese.
- Wanting to talk about your family in Chinese?
下次见！ Xiàcì jiàn!
Lin Ping: Rocket Chinese
Make It Stick With Rocket Reinforcement
Reinforce your learning from this lesson with the Rocket Reinforcement activities!