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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 6

问路 Asking directions

Wèn lù

Asking a local for directions. Introduces 怎么 + V (how to do) and 往 + 方位 + V (direction adverbial).

Dialogue

请问怎么走? — Excuse me, how to get there?

林雪不bù好hǎo意yì思si, 我wǒ想xiǎng向xiàng您nín问wèn路lù. Excuse me, I'd like to ask you for directions.
路人你nǐ想xiǎng去qù哪nǎ里lǐ? Where do you want to go?
林雪公gōng园yuán怎zěn么me走zǒu? How do I get to the park?
路人不bù远yuǎn, 一yì直zhí朝cháo前qián走zǒu就jiù到dào. Not far — head straight forward and you'll get there.
林雪一yì直zhí走zǒu吗ma? 大dà概gài多duō远yuǎn? Just straight? About how far?
路人大dà概gài十shí分fēn钟zhōng. 公gōng园yuán在zài右yòu边biān. About ten minutes. The park's on the right.
林雪太tài好hǎo了le, 谢xiè谢xiè您nín! Great — thank you!

Dialogue

往左拐 — Turn left

林雪请qǐng问wèn, 这zhè边biān有yǒu酒jiǔ店diàn吗ma? Excuse me — any hotels around here?
路人有yǒu. 前qián面miàn的de路lù口kǒu往wǎng左zuǒ拐guǎi就jiù是shì. Yes. Turn left at the intersection ahead — it's right there.
林雪往wǎng左zuǒ拐guǎi以yǐ后hòu还hái要yào走zǒu多duō远yuǎn? How far after turning left?
路人不bù远yuǎn. 酒jiǔ店diàn在zài你nǐ左zuǒ边biān, 比bǐ较jiào近jìn. Not far. The hotel's on your left, fairly close.
林雪后hòu面miàn那nà个ge大dà楼lóu也yě是shì酒jiǔ店diàn吗ma? Is the big building behind also a hotel?
路人不bú是shì. 那nà个ge是shì公gōng园yuán, 在zài酒jiǔ店diàn的de后hòu面miàn. No — that's the park, behind the hotel.
林雪终zhōng于yú找zhǎo到dào了le, 谢xiè谢xiè! 我wǒ们men快kuài回huí房fáng间jiān休xiū息xi. Found it at last, thanks! Let's hurry back to the room and rest.

Vocabulary

问wèn路lù: verb ask directions
走zǒu: verb walk; go (recall Bk1)
往wǎng: verb toward; to (direction)
左zuǒ边biān: noun left side (recall Bk1)
右yòu边biān: noun right side (recall Bk1)
前qián面miàn: noun front; ahead (recall Bk1)
后hòu面miàn: noun back; behind (recall Bk1)
远yuǎn: adjective far (recall Bk1)
近jìn: adjective near (recall Bk1)
路lù口kǒu: noun intersection
一yì直zhí: adverb straight; all along
拐guǎi: verb turn (a corner)
公gōng园yuán: noun park (recall Bk1)
大dà概gài: adverb about; approximately
林lín雪xuě: pn. Lin Xue (persona — recall ch01)

New characters

朝
拐guǎi: turn (a corner)
笑

Hanzi — writing & recognition

往

wǎng toward; to Writing

8 strokes left-right

直

zhí straight (in 一直) Writing

8 strokes single

远

yuǎn far (recall Bk1) Recognition

7 strokes left-right

近

jìn near (recall Bk1) Recognition

7 strokes left-right

概

gài approximately (in 大概) Recognition

13 strokes left-right

Grammar

Preposition 朝 — facing/toward a direction (三22)

Explanation

`朝 + direction/target + verb` shows the direction an action faces. 朝南走 (walk southward) / 朝左看 (look left) / 朝我笑 (smile at me). 大门朝南开 (the gate faces south). Close to Band 2's 往, but 朝 stresses "facing toward".

Examples

大门朝南开. The gate faces south.
你朝前走就到了. Walk straight ahead and you'll be there.
他朝我笑了笑. He smiled at me.
朝左走就是酒店. Go left and there's the hotel.

Grammar

Preposition 向² — toward a person (三24)

Explanation

Grammar-01's 朝 is mostly physical direction. `向 + person + verb` is more abstract — doing something TOWARD a person. 向老师学习 (learn from the teacher) / 向他问路 (ask him directions) / 向大家介绍 (introduce to everyone). Pairs with 学习 / 请假 / 问 / 介绍.

Examples

我们要向老师学习. We should learn from the teacher.
你可以向他问路. You can ask him for directions.
我向大家介绍一下. Let me introduce (this) to everyone.
向别人学习是好事. Learning from others is a good thing.

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