Ask the way: 地铁, 路口, and 怎么走
Cities, buildings, streets and how to get around.
Editorial: Javier Garcia Floriano · Contact
Founder of Chinese Trainer. These lists come from the app's HSK inventory (hanzi, pinyin, band), not from an official exam PDF.
Getting lost in a Chinese city is not fixed with exam compass points. It is fixed at a 路口, pointing at the 地铁 and asking 怎么走. HSK 1 already gives you 这儿, 那儿, 学校 and 医院. What gets you unstuck is 附近, 对面, 旁边 and 路口, plus the 左/右 people mark with a hand. This page keeps buildings, orientation and distance, and drops the philosophical 东方 and the roast 南方 that matching sometimes sneaks in. Chinese Trainer tags each row with HSK; the same words feed SRS. Save 怎么走, 地铁, 路口 and 附近 first, and add 东南北西 once you can follow a finger without asking for English. A car-park guard understands 请问，地铁怎么走 long before a speech about the city map.
Key takeaways
- 怎么走 is the question; 往前走 / 左转 / 右转 is the useful answer.
- 路口 is the junction where people actually explain, not the hotel map.
- 附近, 对面 and 旁边 beat north–south in month one.
- 地铁站 exits are 口. Ask 几号口.
- This list is this site's inventory, not an official HSK map.
How to use these words
The scene is a 路口 at 08:00, not a classroom with a compass. Your phone has no data. A guard stands by a barrier. Start with 请问, point at the metro icon or say 地铁站, and add 怎么走. If you only catch 前面, walk and ask again at the next junction. 左转 and 右转 land if you pair them with a hand. 一直走 stops you from stalling twenty metres later.
Buildings on this list are the anchors people actually use: 医院, 银行, 超市, 邮局, 学校, 公园. “It's 对面 the 超市” beats a street name you cannot read. 附近 covers “around here”; 远 and 近 tell you whether a taxi is worth it. 东, 南, 西, 北 show up in line names and neighbourhoods (东站, 西口); month one does not need a wind-rose recitation.
In the metro, 口 is the exit. A口 / B口 change the pavement and sometimes the district. Ask 哪个口近. If they send you 过马路, wait for the light; 路口 is also where you get hit. The dialogue below fits in twenty seconds: practice it staring at a fixed point, as if the guard will not repeat himself. Repeat 左转 / 右转 with your hand in the air. If you only catch 前面, walk to the next 路口 and ask again — that is how locals do it when the first answer was too fast.
How this list was built
The published count is 180 rows for this situation after exclusions, not the raw keyword match. We checked this inventory against the HSK bands on chinesetest.cn. HSK is the level tagged on each row. Chinese Trainer is the app whose SRS uses the same rows. Chinese directions is the situation this page teaches.
Word list
180 words in this topic (cleaned list) · HSK 1–3
Asking the way
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 地图 | dìtú | map |
| 3 | 底下 | dǐxia | the location below something |
| 4 | 址 | zhǐ | location |
| 5 | 所在 | suǒzài | place |
| 6 | 远方 | yuǎnfāng | far away |
| 7 | 到位 | dàowèi | to get to the intended location |
| 7 | 穴位 | xuéwèi | acupuncture point |
| 7 | 遥控 | yáokòng | to direct operations from a remote location |
8 words · Practice them in the app
Street and 路口
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 场 | cháng / chǎng | field |
| 2 | 街 | jiē | street |
| 2 | 广场 | guǎngchǎng | public square |
| 3 | 老百姓 | lǎobǎixìng | ordinary people |
| 4 | 街道 | jiēdào | street |
| 6 | 大街 | dàjiē | street |
| 6 | 大道 | dàdào | main street |
| 6 | 街头 | jiētóu | street |
| 7 | 临街 | línjiē | facing the street |
| 7 | 停车位 | tíngchēwèi | parking space |
| 7 | 路灯 | lùdēng | street lamp |
| 7 | 车道 | chēdào | traffic lane |
12 words · Practice them in the app
Near, opposite, beside
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 旁 | páng | side |
| 1 | 旁边 | pángbiān | side |
| 1 | 这儿 | zhèr | here |
| 1 | 这边 | zhèbiān | this side |
| 1 | 这里 | zhèlǐ | here |
| 2 | 近 | jìn | to approach |
| 2 | 今后 | jīnhòu | hereafter |
| 2 | 对面 | duìmiàn | opposite |
| 2 | 差不多 | chàbuduō | almost |
| 3 | 极 | jí | extreme |
| 3 | 关注 | guānzhù | to pay attention to |
| 3 | 将近 | jiāngjìn | almost |
| 3 | 近期 | jìnqī | near in time |
| 4 | 从此 | cóngcǐ | from now on |
| 4 | 几乎 | jīhū | almost |
| 4 | 紧密 | jǐnmì | inseparably close |
| 4 | 附近 | fùjìn | nearby |
| 5 | 差一点儿 | chàyīdiǎnr | almost |
| 5 | 注视 | zhùshì | to look attentively at |
| 5 | 由此 | yóu cǐ | hereby |
| 6 | 往后 | wǎnghòu | from now on |
| 6 | 挨着 | āizhe | near |
| 6 | 此处 | cǐ chù | this place |
| 6 | 至于 | zhìyú | to go so far as to |
| 6 | 面对面 | miànduìmiàn | face to face |
| 7 | 悠 | yōu | distant |
| 7 | 辽 | liáo | distant |
| 7 | 东奔西走 | dōngbēn-xīzǒu | to run this way and that |
| 7 | 乃至 | nǎizhì | and even |
| 7 | 偏远 | piānyuǎn | remote |
| 7 | 此起彼伏 | cǐqǐ-bǐfú | up here |
| 7 | 沿线 | yánxiàn | along the line |
| 7 | 相继 | xiāngjì | in succession |
| 7 | 老远 | lǎo yuǎn | very far away |
| 7 | 见外 | jiànwài | To be distant |
| 7 | 贴近 | tiējìn | to press close to |
| 7 | 边远 | biānyuǎn | far from the center |
37 words · Practice them in the app
Left, right, straight
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 右边 | yòubian | right side |
| 2 | 不错 | bùcuò | correct |
| 3 | 左右 | zuǒyòu | left and right |
| 6 | 纠正 | jiūzhèng | to correct |
| 7 | 左顾右盼 | zuǒgù-yòupàn | glancing to left and right |
| 7 | 活该 | huógāi | serve someone right |
6 words · Practice them in the app
East, south, west, north
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 东 | dōng | east |
| 1 | 北 | běi | north |
| 1 | 南 | nán / nā | south |
| 1 | 西 | xī | west |
| 1 | 这 | zhè / zhèi | this |
| 1 | 东边 | dōngbian | east |
| 1 | 今年 | jīnnián | this year |
| 1 | 北边 | běibian | north |
| 1 | 南边 | nánbian | south |
| 1 | 西边 | xībian | west |
| 2 | 刚才 | gāngcái | just now |
| 2 | 北方 | běifāng | north |
| 2 | 这时 | zhè shí | at this time |
| 2 | 这时候 | zhè shíhou | En este momento |
| 3 | 此 | cǐ | this |
| 3 | 北部 | běibù | northern part |
| 3 | 南部 | nánbù | southern part |
| 3 | 因此 | yīncǐ | thus |
| 5 | 北极 | běijí | the North Pole |
| 5 | 南北 | nánběi | north and south |
| 5 | 南极 | nánjí | the South Pole |
| 5 | 此刻 | cǐkè | this moment |
| 5 | 此时 | cǐshí | now |
| 6 | 本期 | běn qī | the current period |
| 6 | 此事 | cǐshì | this matter |
| 7 | 兹 | zī / cí | now |
| 7 | 这会儿 | zhèhuìr | now |
27 words · Practice them in the app
Anchor buildings
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 京 | jīng | capital city |
| 1 | 院 | yuàn | court |
| 1 | 馆 | guǎn | public building |
| 1 | 上学 | shàngxué | to go to school |
| 1 | 中学 | zhōngxué | middle school |
| 1 | 医院 | yīyuàn | Hospital |
| 1 | 商店 | shāngdiàn | store |
| 1 | 学校 | xuéxiào | school |
| 1 | 小学 | xiǎoxué | elementary school |
| 2 | 市 | shì | city |
| 2 | 中小学 | zhōng-xiǎoxué | middle and elementary school |
| 2 | 公园 | gōngyuán | park |
| 2 | 出院 | chūyuàn | to leave hospital |
| 2 | 校长 | xiàozhǎng | president |
| 2 | 花园 | huāyuán | garden |
| 2 | 超市 | chāoshì | supermarket |
| 2 | 酒店 | jiǔdiàn | wine shop |
| 2 | 银行 | yínháng | bank |
| 2 | 银行卡 | yínhángkǎ | bank card |
| 2 | 高中 | gāozhōng | senior high school |
| 3 | 初中 | chūzhōng | junior high school |
| 3 | 城市 | chéngshì | city |
| 3 | 家乡 | jiāxiāng | hometown |
| 4 | 案 | àn | file |
| 4 | 操场 | cāochǎng | playground |
| 4 | 邮局 | yóujú | post office |
| 5 | 柜 | guì | cabinet |
| 5 | 园林 | yuánlín | gardens |
| 5 | 城里 | chénglǐ | in the city |
| 5 | 学位 | xuéwèi | academic degree |
| 6 | 办学 | bànxué | to run a school |
| 6 | 升学 | shēngxué | to enter the next grade school |
| 6 | 取款 | qǔkuǎn | to withdraw money from a bank |
| 6 | 城乡 | chéng xiāng | city and countryside |
| 7 | 帐 | zhàng | tent |
| 7 | 棚 | péng | shack |
| 7 | 滩 | tān | rapids |
| 7 | 钞 | chāo | bank note |
| 7 | 专卖店 | zhuānmàidiàn | specialty store |
| 7 | 乡亲 | xiāngqīn | person from one's hometown or home region |
| 7 | 便利店 | biànlìdiàn | convenience store |
| 7 | 城墙 | chéngqiáng | city wall |
| 7 | 夜校 | yèxiào | evening school |
| 7 | 大街小巷 | dàjiē-xiǎoxiàng | great streets and small alleys |
| 7 | 学堂 | xuétáng | school |
| 7 | 就读 | jiùdú | to go to school |
| 7 | 帐篷 | zhàngpeng | tent |
| 7 | 招牌 | zhāopai | signboard |
| 7 | 正宗 | zhèngzōng | orthodox school |
| 7 | 求学 | qiúxué | to pursue one's studies |
| 7 | 祖籍 | zǔjí | ancestral hometown |
| 7 | 转学 | zhuǎnxué | to change schools |
| 7 | 连锁店 | liánsuǒdiàn | chain store |
| 7 | 退学 | tuìxué | to quit school |
| 7 | 野外 | yěwài | countryside |
55 words · Practice them in the app
Other words in this topic
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 国 | guó | country |
| 1 | 家 | jiā | house |
| 1 | 房 | fáng | building |
| 1 | 回家 | huí jiā | to return home |
| 1 | 外国 | wàiguó | foreign country |
| 1 | 家里 | jiā li | home |
| 2 | 室 | shì | house |
| 2 | 广 | guǎng / yǎn | broad |
| 2 | 出国 | chūguó | to go abroad |
| 2 | 出门 | chūmén | to go out |
| 2 | 回国 | huí guó | To return to one's country |
| 2 | 外地 | wàidì | parts of the country other than where one is |
| 3 | 乡 | xiāng | country |
| 3 | 房租 | fángzū | rent for a room or house |
| 4 | 家务 | jiāwù | household duties |
| 5 | 舍 | shě | house |
| 5 | 宾馆 | bīnguǎn | guesthouse |
| 6 | 宠物 | chǒngwù | house pet |
| 6 | 本土 | běntǔ | one's native country |
| 7 | 墅 | shù | villa |
| 7 | 栋 | dòng | ridge-beam |
| 7 | 邦 | bāng | country |
| 7 | 入境 | rùjìng | to enter a country |
| 7 | 出境 | chūjìng | to leave a country or region |
| 7 | 四合院 | sìhéyuàn | courtyard house |
| 7 | 国情 | guóqíng | current state of a country |
| 7 | 挨家挨户 | āijiā-āihù | to go from house to house |
| 7 | 探亲 | tànqīn | to go home to visit one's family |
| 7 | 新房 | xīnfáng | brand new house |
| 7 | 海内外 | hǎi nèiwài | domestic and international |
| 7 | 皇室 | huángshì | royal family |
| 7 | 茶馆儿 | cháguǎnr | teahouse |
| 7 | 落户 | luòhù | to settle |
| 7 | 过境 | guòjìng | to pass through a country's territory |
| 7 | 邻国 | línguó | neighboring country |
35 words · Practice them in the app
Example sentences
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 请问，地铁怎么走？ | Qǐngwèn, dìtiě zěnme zǒu? | Excuse me, how do I get to the metro? |
| 往前走，到路口左转。 | Wǎng qián zǒu, dào lùkǒu zuǒ zhuǎn. | Go straight, then left at the junction. |
| 银行在超市对面。 | Yínháng zài chāoshì duìmiàn. | The bank is opposite the supermarket. |
| 医院离这儿远吗？ | Yīyuàn lí zhèr yuǎn ma? | Is the hospital far from here? |
| 附近有邮局吗？ | Fùjìn yǒu yóujú ma? | Is there a post office nearby? |
| 一直走，不要过马路。 | Yìzhí zǒu, bú yào guò mǎlù. | Keep going — don't cross the road. |
| A口近，B口远。 | A kǒu jìn, B kǒu yuǎn. | Exit A is close; B is far. |
| 学校在公园旁边。 | Xuéxiào zài gōngyuán pángbiān. | The school is next to the park. |
| 东站还是西站？ | Dōng zhàn háishi xī zhàn? | East station or west station? |
| 这儿有地图吗？ | Zhèr yǒu dìtú ma? | Is there a map here? |
Dialogue: asking a guard at the 路口
No data. The guard has no English. Place words only.
| Speaker | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| You | 请问，地铁怎么走？ | Qǐngwèn, dìtiě zěnme zǒu? | Excuse me — the metro? |
| Guard | 往前走，到路口右转。 | Wǎng qián zǒu, dào lùkǒu yòu zhuǎn. | Straight, then right at the junction. |
| You | 远吗？ | Yuǎn ma? | Is it far? |
| Guard | 不远。超市对面。 | Bù yuǎn. Chāoshì duìmiàn. | No. Opposite the supermarket. |
| You | 哪个口？A口吗？ | Nǎge kǒu? A kǒu ma? | Which exit? A? |
| Guard | B口近。一直走。 | B kǒu jìn. Yìzhí zǒu. | B is closer. Keep going. |
| You | 附近有银行吗？ | Fùjìn yǒu yínháng ma? | Is there a bank nearby? |
| Guard | 有。医院旁边。 | Yǒu. Yīyuàn pángbiān. | Yes. Next to the hospital. |
| You | 要过马路吗？ | Yào guò mǎlù ma? | Do I need to cross? |
| Guard | 要。看灯。 | Yào. Kàn dēng. | Yes. Watch the light. |
| You | 谢谢。 | Xièxie. | Thanks. |
Measure words for this topic
条 for streets and rivers (一条路). 座 for large buildings (一座医院). 家 for shops. 口 for metro exits. 个 is fine for 路口 if you are unsure.
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 怎么去 without a place | 地铁怎么走 / 去医院怎么走 | 怎么走 needs a destination. Bare, there is no route. |
| 左边走 | 左转 / 往左走 | The turn is 转. 左边 is the side, not the action. |
| Using only 北/南 with a street guard | 前面 / 左转 / 对面 | The guard points with a hand. Cardinals come later. |
| 口 as “mouth” at a station | A口 / 出口 | In the metro, 口 is an exit. Ask for the letter or number. |
| 这儿 and 那儿 swapped while pointing | 这儿 = here, 那儿 = there | If you point away, it is 那儿. 这儿 is where your feet are. |
FAQ
How do I ask the way at HSK 1?
请问 + place + 怎么走. Add 远吗 and 附近. The gesture beats the compass.
What is a 路口?
The junction. That is where you get 左转 / 右转. It is also where you cross: 过马路.
What about 附近, 对面 and 旁边?
附近 is “in the area”. 对面 is across the street or counter. 旁边 is right next to it.
Should I learn 东西南北 already?
To read 东站 or 北口, yes. To ask a guard, no: start with 左, 右 and 前面.
How do I practice this list?
Save 怎么走, 路口 and 地铁 in Chinese Trainer SRS and say the dialogue while pointing at a wall. Two out-loud runs are enough.
Practice in the app
The same place rows feed Chinese Trainer SRS. Start HSK 1–2 free, save 怎么走 and 路口, and run today's deck before you get lost again.