How to Ask for and Understand Directions in Chinese

If you’re going to travel to China, odds are that you will feel a little lost at some point.

This is why it’s so important to know a few key terms that will help you ask for assistance in Chinese.

In this blog post, you’ll learn everything you need to know about asking and understanding directions in Chinese ( 方向 — fāng xiàng), including new words for places to go, basic phrases and more.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

How to Get Directions in Chinese

First, let’s take a look at a few phrases that’ll be critical in helping you form sentences related to placement, locations and directions in Chinese.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
...在哪里？	zài nǎ lǐ?	Where is...?
...离这里远吗？	...lí zhé lì yuǎn ma?	Is... far from here?
...离这里近吗？	...lí zhé lì jìn ma?	Is... close to here?
从...到...要多长时间？	cóng... dào... yào duō cháng shí jiān?	How long does it take to get from... to...?
去...怎么走？	qù... zěn me zǒu?	How do I get to ...?
坐...	zuò...	to take...

Here are some example sentences to help you practice:

超市在哪里？
(chāo shì zài nǎ lǐ?)
Where is the supermarket?

银行离这里远吗？
(yín háng lí zhè lǐ yuǎn ma?)
Is the bank far from here?

从大学到图书馆要多长时间？
(cóng dà xué dào tú shū guǎn yào duō cháng shí jiān?)
How long does it take to get from the university to the library?

Vocabulary for Directions in Chinese

Now that you know how to form basic sentences when it comes to asking for directions, let’s look at specific vocabulary terms that may come up:

Chinese	Pinyin	English
指路	zhǐ lù	To give directions
问路	wèn lù	To ask for directions
地图	dì tú	Map
迷路	mí lù	To get lost
走路	zǒu lù	To go by foot
坐火车	zuò huǒ chē	To take the train
开车	kāi chē	To drive
坐飞机	zuò fēi jī	To take an airplane
街	jiē	Street
在路上	zài lù shàng	On the way

Examples:

可以走路到超市吗？
(kě yǐ zǒu lù dào chāo shì ma?)
Can you go to the supermarket by foot?

你需要从北京坐飞机到上海。
(nǐ xū yào cóng běi jīng zuò fēi jī dào shàng hǎi.)
You need to fly from Beijing to Shanghai.

不用担心， 我在路上！
(bú yòng dān xīn, wǒ zài lù shàng!)
Don’t worry, I’m on the way!

Places to Go in Chinese

Here are some of the most common locations you might need to tell someone you’re going to:

Chinese	Pinyin	English
银行	yín háng	Bank
医院	yī yuàn	Hospital
火车站	huǒ chē zhàn	Train station
地铁站	dì tiě zhàn	Subway station
超市	chāo shì	Grocery store / supermarket
商场	shāng chǎng	Shopping mall
博物馆	bó wù guǎn	Museum
图书馆	tú shū guǎn	Library
餐厅	cān tīng	Restaurant (casual)
酒吧	jiǔ bā	Bar
公园	gōng yuán	Park
机场	jī chǎng	Airport
电影院	diàn yǐng yuàn	Movie theater

Examples:

你还在火车站吗？我找不到你。
(nǐ hái zài huǒ chē zhàn ma? wǒ zhǎo bú dào nǐ.)
Are you still at the train station? I can’t find you.

请问，你可以帮我找博物馆吗？
(qǐng wèn, nǐ kě yǐ bāng wǒ zhǎo bó wù guǎn ma?)
Excuse me, can you help me find the museum?

那个医院在另一条街。
(nà ge yī yuàn zài lìng yì tiáo jiē.)
That hospital is on the other street.

Location Words in Chinese

When someone is giving you directions or you need to ask where things are in relation to other places, here are some location-based vocabulary that you may need:

Chinese	Pinyin	English
前面 / 前边	qián miàn / qián biān	In front of
后面 / 后边	hòu miàn / hòu biān	Behind
外面 / 外边	wài miàn / wài biān	Outside
里面 / 里边	lǐ miàn / lǐ biān	Inside
右边	yòu biān	To the right of
左边	zuǒ biān	To the left of
一直	yì zhí	Straight
旁边	páng biān	Next to
北方	běi fāng	North
南方	nán fāng	South
西方	xī fāng	West
东方	dōng fāng	East

Examples:

图书馆在大学的前面。
(tú shū guǎn zài dà xué de qián miàn.)
The library is in front of the university.

医院在餐厅的右边。
(yī yuàn zài cān tīng de yòu biān.)
The hospital is to the right of the restaurant.

我还在火车站。在入口的旁边。
(wǒ hái zài huǒ chē zhàn. zài rù kǒu de páng biān.)
I’m still at the trains station. (I’m) next to the entrance.

 

So, what’s next now that you know how to talk about, ask for and give directions in Chinese?

It’s time to hit the streets!

For good practice, look out for these phrases when watching Chinese media. Using a resource like FluentU gives you an extra advantage since you can spot and click on direction words and phrases in the interactive subtitles.

Get out there and start asking your way around. You may look like a lost foreigner, but you’re on your way to sounding like a lost local!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)