问路 Asking for Directions in Chinese

今天jīntiān下午xiàwǔ我wǒ去qù朋友péngyou的de新xīn家jiā玩wán。

This afternoon I went to visit my friend's new home.

但是dànshì走zǒu了le十shí分钟fēnzhōng，我wǒ找不到zhǎo bu dào路lù了le。

But after walking for ten minutes, I couldn't find the way anymore.

我wǒ问wèn旁边pángbiān的de一个yí gè先生xiānsheng：“请问qǐngwèn，北京路Běijīng Lù怎么zěnme走zǒu？”

I asked a man nearby, "Excuse me, how do I get to Beijing Road?"

他tā说shuō：“你nǐ往wǎng前qián走zǒu，到dào红绿灯hónglǜdēng往wǎng左zuǒ走zǒu，就jiù到dào了le。”

He said, "Go straight ahead, turn left at the traffic light, and you're there."

我wǒ问wèn他tā：“离lí这儿zhèr远yuǎn吗ma？”

I asked him, "Is it far from here?"

他tā笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“不bù远yuǎn，走zǒu五wǔ分钟fēnzhōng就jiù到dào了le。”

He said with a smile, "Not far — a five-minute walk and you're there."

很hěn快kuài我wǒ就jiù到dào了le朋友péngyou的de家jiā，他tā看见kànjiàn我wǒ，非常fēicháng高兴gāoxìng。

Soon I arrived at my friend's home, and he was very happy to see me.

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Key words 生词

请问qǐngwènexcuse me, may I ask

往wǎngtoward

红绿灯hónglǜdēngtraffic light

离lí(distance) from

远yuǎnfar

找不到zhǎo bu dàocannot find

往 + direction + verb

往 points a movement in a direction: 往前走 (walk ahead), 往左走 (go left).

到红绿灯往左走。— Turn left at the traffic light.

A 离 B + 远/近

离 measures the distance between two places: 我家离公司很近.

北京路离这儿远吗？— Is Beijing Road far from here?

1. Where was the writer going this afternoon?

2. What directions did the man give?

3. How far away was Beijing Road?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.