Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

talkiNG aBoUt moVemeNt, direCtioNS, aNd meaNS oF traNSPortatioN

48.6

48.6 asking about locations and asking for directions

48.6.1 asking about locations

To ask where a place is located, say:

(place) 在哪儿？ or (place) 在哪里？

(place) 在哪兒？ (place) 在哪裏？

(place) zài nǎr? (place) zài nǎlǐ?

Where is (the place)? Where is (the place)?

图书馆在哪儿？ 图书馆在哪里？

圖書館在哪兒？ 圖書館在哪裏？

Túshūguǎn zài nǎr? Túshūguǎn zài nǎlǐ?

Where is the library? Where is the library?

48.6.2 asking how to go from one place to another

To ask how to get from one place to another, say:

怎么走？

怎麼走？

Zěnme zǒu?

How do you go?

(从 place 1 ) 到 place 2 怎么走？

(從 place 1 ) 到 place 2 怎麼走？

(cóng place 1 ) dào place 2 zěnme zǒu?

How do you go (from place 1 ) to place 2?

(从这儿)到图书馆怎么走？

(從這兒)到圖書館怎麼走？

(Cóng zhèr) dào túshūguǎn zěnme zǒu?

How do you go (from here) to the library?

48.6.3 asking about alternative directions

To ask about alternative directions, use 还是/還是 háishi ‘or’:

往北拐还是往南拐？

往北拐還是往南拐？

Wǎng běi guǎi háishi wǎng nán guǎi?

(Do you) turn north or turn south?

C28.3

48.6.4 What to say when you do not know the way

我不太清楚。

Wǒ bù tài qīngchu.

I am not too clear (about this).

(对不起，)我不知道怎么去。

(對不起，)我不知道怎麼去。

(Duìbuqǐ,) wǒ bù zhīdao zěnme qù.

(Sorry,) I don’t know how to go.

(对不起，)我不认识这个地方。

(對不起，)我不認識這個地方。

(Duìbuqǐ,) wǒ bù rènshi zhèige dìfang.

(Sorry,) I don’t know this place.