Asking For Directions (Part 1)
Conversations
Conversation 1:
| Yóu | kè | : | Qǐng | wèn | wài | tān | zài | nǎr？ |
| 游 | 客 | : | 请 | 问 | 外 | 滩 | 在 | 哪儿？ |
| Tourist | : | Could you please tell me where The Bund is? | ||||||
.
| jǐng | chá | : | wài | tān | zài | zhōng | shān | dōng | lù | shàng |
| 警 | 察 | : | 外 | 滩 | 在 | 中 | 山 | 东 | 路 | 上 |
| Policeman | : | It’s at Zhongshan East Road. | ||||||||
.
.
| Yóu | kè | : | nà | qǐng | wèn | cóng | zhè | lǐ | dào | zhōng | shān | dōng | lù | zěn | me | zǒu？ |
| 游 | 客 | : | 那 | 请 | 问 | 从 | 这 | 里 | 到 | 中 | 山 | 东 | 路 | 怎 | 么 | 走？ |
| Tourist | : | May I have the direction to Zhongshan East Road from here? | ||||||||||||||
.
| jǐng | chá | : | xiàng | qián | zǒu | zuǒ | zhuǎn | jiù | dào | le |
| 警 | 察 | : | 向 | 前 | 走， | 左 | 转 | 就 | 到 | 了。 |
| Policeman | : | Walk straight ahead, turn left. It should be right there. | ||||||||
Conversation 2:
| Yóu | kè | : | qǐng | wèn | xīn | tiān | dì | zài | nǎ | lǐ ？ |
| 游 | 客 | : | 请 | 问 | 新 | 天 | 地 | 在 | 哪 | 里？ |
| Tourist | : | Do you know where the Xintiandi is? | ||||||||
.
| jǐng | chá | : | jiù | zài | nà | ér |
| 警 | 察 | : | 就 | 在 | 那 | 儿。 |
| Policeman | : | It’s just over there. | ||||
.
| Yóu | kè | : | xiè | xiè |
| 游 | 客 | : | 谢 | 谢！ |
| Tourist | : | Thanks! | ||
.
| jǐng | chá | : | bú | yòng | xiè |
| 警 | 察 | : | 不 | 用 | 谢！ |
| Policeman | : | You’re welcome! | |||
Conversation Breakdown and Explanation
When you ask for a direction – You can say:
| qǐng | wèn | …… | zài | nǎr？ | (nǎ |
lǐ) |
| 请 | 问 | …… | 在 | 哪儿？ | (哪 | 里) |
| Could you please tell me where …… is? | ||||||
- 请 qǐng it’s a polite expression, which is mean please.
- 请问 qǐng wèn = May I ask.
- 哪儿 nǎr （or 哪里 nǎ lǐ） = where.
When you want to know how to get to a place – You can ask:
| nà | qǐng | wèn | cóng | zhè | lǐ | dào | zhōng | shān | dōng | lù | zěn | me |
zǒu？ |
| 那 | 请 | 问 | 从 | 这 | 里 | 到 | 中 | 山 | 东 | 路 | 怎 | 么 | 走？ |
| May I have the direction to Zhongshan East Road from here? | |||||||||||||
- 这里 zhè lǐ = here.
- 中山东路 zhōng shān dōng lù ( Zhongshan East Road) is a place in the example where 路 lù refers to Road
- 怎么走 zěn me zǒu = how to walk (how to get to)
It is used in asking for direction in Mandarin.
Eg: 车站怎么走？chē zhàn zěn me zǒu (where 车站 chē zhàn = station)
How to get to station?
Giving Directions :
In this example, the policeman answers
| xiàng | qián | zǒu, | zuǒ | zhuǎn | jiù | dào | le. |
| 向 | 前 | 走， | 左 | 转 | 就 | 到 | 了。 |
| Walk straight ahead, turn left. It should be right there. | |||||||
- 向前走 xiàng qián zǒu = walk straight ahead
- 左转 zuǒ zhuǎn = turn left
- 就到了 jiù dào le = right there, or (you) will (be able to) reach there.
To say ‘thank you’ in mandarin, you can say:
| xiè | xiè |
| 谢 | 谢. |
- 谢谢 xiè xiè = thank you.
To reply a thanks in mandarin, you can say:
| bú | yòng | xiè |
| 不 | 用 | 谢！ |
| You’re welcome! | ||
.
or
| bú | kè | qi |
| 不 | 客 | 气. |
| Don’t mention it. | ||
.
or
| méi | guān | xi |
| 没 | 关 | 系. |
| No worries. | ||
