Lesson 18: Asking for Direction

The most scary part of a trip is getting lost. Knowing how to ask for direction in Chinese is an essential lesson to everyone who want to travel to China. This lesson will teach you the directional vocabularies and the key traffic terms in Chinese: left-right, front-back, traffic lights etc.

Vocabulary A:

Chinese Character		Pinyin	Pronunciation	English Translation
故宫		gù gōng		Forbbiden Palace
	故	gù		ancient, old; reason, because
	宫	gōng		palace
还有		hái yǒu		still, yet
	还	hái		still, yet, also, besides
多远		duō yuǎn		how far
	远	yuǎn		far
向前		xiàng qián		ahead
	向	xiàng		toward, direction, trend
	前	qián		in front, forward; preceding
走		zǒu		walk, go on foot; run; leave
过		guò		pass, pass through, go across
路口		lù kǒu		intersection
	路	lù		road, path, street; journey
	口	kǒu		mouth; open end; entrance, gate
然后		rán hòu		after that; afterward; next, then;
	然	rán		yes, certainly; pledge, promise
	后	hòu		queen, empress, sovereign
转		zhuǎn		shift, move, turn
米		mǐ		meter; rice
就		jiù		just, simply; to come, go to; to approach

Tips A:

- In order to be polite, before asking for anything in Chinese, one should say, "qing wen = 请问“ which is equivilent to "execuse me".

Dialog A:

qingwen, A: 请问， qu 去 gugong 故宫 haiyou 还有 duoyuan? 多远？

buyuanle. B: 不远了。 ni 你 zai 再 xiangqianzou, 向前走, guo 过 liangge 两个 lukou, 路口， ranhou 然后 xiangyouzhuan, 向右转， zai 再 xiangqian 向前 zou50mi 走50米 jiudaole. 就到了。

xiexieni A: 谢谢你。 zaijian. 再见。

zaijian. B: 再见，

Click to hear the above dialog.

English Translation A:

Execuse me, how far is the Forbidden Palace from here?
Not far. Keep going forward, then turn right after two intersections, then keep walking for another 50 meters, you are there.
Thank you. Bye.
Bye.

Vocabulary B:

d d d d d d d d

Chinese Character		Pinyin	Pronunciation	English Translation
北		běi		north
海		hǎi		sea, ocean
公园		gōng yuán		park
	公	gōng		fair, equitable; public; duke
	园	yuán		garden; park, orchard
反		fǎn		reverse, opposite, contrary, anti
应该		yīng gāi		should, ought to, must
	应	yīng		should; response; accept
	该	gāi		ought to, need to
往		wǎng		go, depart; past, formerly
回		huí		return, turn around; a time
穿过		chuān guò		through
	穿	chuān		penetrate, pierce, drill; wear
绿		lǜ		green
灯		dēng		light
感谢		gǎn xiè		thank, be greatful, acknowledgment
	感	gǎn		feel, perceive, emotion

Tips B:

- Traffic light in Chinese is easy to remember, it is simple "red-green light" = hong lü deng = 红绿灯.

Dialog B:

qingwen, A: 请问， qu 去 beihaigongyuan 北海公园 zenmezou? 怎么走？

ni B: 你 zoufanle! 走反了！ yinggai 应该 wanghuizou, 往回走， chuanguo 穿过 liangge 两个 honglüdeng, 红绿灯， kanjian 看见 yige 一个 shizilukou, 十字路口， ranhou 然后 xiangzuozhuan, 向左转， ni 你 jiuneng 就能 kanjian 看见 beihaigongyuanle. 北海公园了。

taiganxienile. A: 太感谢你了。

buyongxie, B: 不用谢， zaijian. 再见.

zaijian. A: 再见.

Click to hear the above dialog.

English Translation B:

Execuse me, how do I get to BeiHai Park?
You are walking toward the opposite direction! Turn around and walk towards where you came from, cross 2 traffic lights, you will see an intersection, turn left, you will see BeiHai Park.
Thank you very much!
You are welcome, bye.
Bye.

Chinese Calligraphy:

周 末 喜 欢 打 球 电 视 唱 歌 跳 舞 听 音 乐 怎 样

 

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