talking about directional movement
48.8
(对不起，)我不知道。
(對不起，)我不知道。
(Duìbuqǐ,) wǒ bù zhīdao.
(Sorry,) I don’t know.
48.7 Asking for and giving directions: sample conversations
Notice that the adverb 再 zài can be used to connect a series of directions.
C36.2
Conversation 1
A: 请问，火车站在哪儿？
請問，火車站在哪兒？
Qǐngwèn, huǒchēzhàn zài nǎr?
May I ask, where is the train station?
B: 从这儿一直往前走，过三条街，向右拐就可以看见了。
從這兒一直往前走，過三條街，向右拐就可以看見了。
Cóng zhèr yī zhí wǎng qián zǒu, guò sān tiáo jiē, xiàng yòu guǎi,
jiù kěyǐ kànjiàn le.
Go straight ahead, pass three blocks, turn right and you will see it.
Conversation 2
A: 劳驾，去邮政局怎么走？
勞駕，去郵政局怎麼走？
Láojià, qù yóuzhèngjú zěnme zǒu?
May I trouble you? How does one get to the post office?
B: 从这儿往东走，过一个十字路口，往南拐，再走几分钟，
在左边有一个红房子就是邮政局。
從這兒往東走，過一個十字路口，往南拐，再走幾分鐘，
在左邊有一個紅房子就是郵政局。
Cóng zhèr wǎng dōng zǒu, guò yī gè shí zì lùkǒu, wǎng nán guǎi,
zài zǒu jǐ fēn zhōng, zài zuǒbiān yǒu yī gè hóng fángzi jiù shì yóuzhèngjú.
Go east, pass one intersection, turn south, then walk for a few minutes.
On your left there is a red building; that is the post office.
Conversation 3
A: 请您告诉我去地铁站怎么走？
請您告訴我去地鐵站怎麼走？
Qǐng nín gàosu wǒ qù dìtiě zhàn zěnme zǒu?
Please tell me how to get to the subway station.
B: 对不起，我也不知道。你问别人吧！
對不起，我也不知道。你問別人吧！
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ yě bù zhīdao. Nǐ wèn biéren ba!
Sorry, I don’t know either. You’d better ask someone else.
48.8 Talking about directional movement
Action verbs that refer to movement, such as 跑 pǎo ‘to run,’ 走 zǒu ‘to walk,’ 跳 tiào ‘to
jump,’ 开/開 kāi ‘to drive,’ 飞/飛 fēi ‘to fly,’ 划 huá ‘to row,’ 游 yóu ‘to swim,’ and even
穿 chuān ‘to put on,’ 吃 chī ‘to eat,’ and 喝 hē ‘to drink’ may be suffixed with directional
endings that indicate the direction of the movement.
