Asking the way

Chen Hao is looking for the metro station. He stops a passer-by.

What you learn to do

approaching a stranger politely
asking where a place is
following directions
saying thank you

Chen Hao 陈浩
A passer-by 路人

Chen Hao

请问，地铁站在哪儿？

Qǐngwèn, dìtiězhàn zài nǎr ?

Excuse me, where is the metro station?
A passer-by

就在前面，走五分钟。

Jiù zài qiánmiàn, zǒu wǔ fēnzhōng.

Just ahead, five minutes on foot.
Chen Hao

是这条路吗？

Shì zhè tiáo lù ma ?

Is it this street?
A passer-by

不是。你往右拐。

Bùshì. Nǐ wǎng yòu guǎi.

No. Turn right.
Chen Hao

右边有银行吗？

Yòubian yǒu yínháng ma ?

Is there a bank on the right?
A passer-by

有。地铁站就在银行旁边。

Yǒu. Dìtiězhàn jiù zài yínháng pángbiān.

Yes. The station is right next to the bank.
Chen Hao

太好了，谢谢您！

Tài hǎo le, xièxie nín !

That is great, thank you very much!
A passer-by

不客气。

Bù kèqi.

You are welcome.

Vocabulary to remember

请问 qǐngwèn excuse me, may I ask
地铁站 dìtiězhàn metro station
哪儿 nǎr where
前面 qiánmiàn in front, ahead
分钟 fēnzhōng minute
路 lù road, way
往 wǎng towards, in the direction of
拐 guǎi to turn (a corner)
右边 yòubian the right-hand side, on the right
银行 yínháng bank
旁边 pángbiān beside, next to
客气 kèqi polite, courteous

Language points

请问, the phrase that opens

Approaching a stranger without 请问 is abrupt, and the phrase does not translate word for word: it means "may I ask" and does the work of "excuse me". It always comes at the head of the sentence, never anywhere else.

往 + direction + 拐

Directions are always built in this order: 往 marks the way, the direction word follows, the verb closes. 往右拐 to turn right, 往左拐 to turn left, 往前走 to carry straight on. English puts the verb first; Chinese saves it for the end.

就, the little word that reassures

就在前面 means nothing different from 在前面, but it adds "it is right there", "no further". It reassures the person asking, and you hear it in almost every answer of this kind.