Traditional Chinese - Asking Directions

Lesson 107 of 152

A lively Taiwan street scene with Traditional Chinese shop signs, showing a learner asking directions in Taiwan Mandarin. The lesson topic is asking directions with turns, crossings, and landmarks.

Goal: Find your way with turns, crossings, and easy landmarks.

Free traditional Chinese lessons with Taiwan Mandarin audio and speaking practice.

Lost near a night market? No worries—today your Mandarin gets a tiny GPS upgrade.

In this lesson, you’ll practice short direction phrases you can actually say out loud, one step at a time.

Level A1: You’ll learn simple Taiwan Mandarin phrases for asking if you should turn, telling someone to go to or pass a place, and describing where something is. We’ll use landmarks like a station, park, café, and convenience store—because sometimes the best map is “it’s across from 7-Eleven.” Yak Yacker says: let’s not get moo-ved in the wrong direction.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Ask if you should turn at a place using 我要在___轉嗎？ (Wǒ yào zài ___ zhuǎn ma?)
  • Give simple movement instructions like 走到___ (Zǒu dào ___), 經過___ (Jīngguò ___), and 穿過___ (Chuānguò ___)
  • Describe locations with 對面 (duìmiàn), 中間 (zhōngjiān), 前面 (qiánmiàn), and 後面 (hòumiàn)
  • Say a first-turn instruction using 在第一個路口___轉 (Zài dì yī ge lùkǒu ___ zhuǎn)
A colorful map-style illustration of a Taipei neighborhood with a MRT station, café, park, and convenience store labeled in Traditional Chinese for a Taiwan Mandarin directions lesson.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

我要在___轉嗎？

Wǒ yào zài ___ zhuǎn ma?

Do I turn at ___?

Meaning: 我要在___轉嗎？ (Wǒ yào zài ___ zhuǎn ma?) means “Do I turn at ___?”

When to use: Use it when asking if a specific street, intersection, or landmark is where you should turn.

Tip: Don’t forget 嗎 (ma) at the end when you’re asking a yes/no question.

我要在捷運站轉嗎？

Wǒ yào zài jiéyùn zhàn zhuǎn ma?

Do I turn at the MRT station?
我要在第一個路口轉嗎？

Wǒ yào zài dì yī ge lùkǒu zhuǎn ma?

Do I turn at the first intersection?

走到___

Zǒu dào ___.

Go to ___.

Meaning: 走到___ (Zǒu dào ___) means “Go to ___.”

When to use: Use it to tell someone to keep walking until they reach a place.

Tip: 到 (dào) means “to/arrive at,” so 走到 (zǒu dào) is stronger than just “walk.”

走到便利商店

Zǒu dào biànlì shāngdiàn.

Go to the convenience store.
走到公園

Zǒu dào gōngyuán.

Go to the park.

經過___

Jīngguò ___.

Go past ___.

Meaning: 經過___ (Jīngguò ___) means “Go past ___.”

When to use: Use it when the person should pass a landmark, not stop or turn there.

Tip: This does not mean “go into” a place—it means pass by it.

經過郵局

Jīngguò yóujú.

Go past the post office.
經過咖啡店

Jīngguò kāfēi diàn.

Go past the café.

穿過___

Chuānguò ___.

Cross ___.

Meaning: 穿過___ (Chuānguò ___) means “Cross ___.”

When to use: Use it for crossing a street, plaza, bridge, or open area.

穿過馬路

Chuānguò mǎlù.

Cross the road.
穿過廣場

Chuānguò guǎngchǎng.

Cross the plaza.

它在___對面。

Tā zài ___ duìmiàn.

It's across from ___.

Meaning: 它在___對面 (Tā zài ___ duìmiàn) means “It’s across from ___.”

When to use: Use it to say a place is directly opposite another landmark.

它在銀行對面

Tā zài yínháng duìmiàn.

It’s across from the bank.
它在公園對面

Tā zài gōngyuán duìmiàn.

It’s across from the park.

它在___和___中間。

Tā zài ___ hé ___ zhōngjiān.

It's between ___ and ___.

Meaning: 它在___和___中間 (Tā zài ___ hé ___ zhōngjiān) means “It’s between ___ and ___.”

When to use: Use it when two landmarks help explain the location.

Tip: Use 和 (hé) between the two places: ___ 和 ___ 中間 (___ hé ___ zhōngjiān).

它在郵局和咖啡店中間。

Tā zài yóujú hé kāfēi diàn zhōngjiān.

It’s between the post office and the café.
它在銀行和公園中間。

Tā zài yínháng hé gōngyuán zhōngjiān.

It’s between the bank and the park.

它在___前面。

Tā zài ___ qiánmiàn.

It's in front of ___.

Meaning: 它在___前面 (Tā zài ___ qiánmiàn) means “It’s in front of ___.”

When to use: Use it when something is in front of a visible landmark.

它在學校前面

Tā zài xuéxiào qiánmiàn.

It’s in front of the school.
它在捷運站前面。

Tā zài jiéyùn zhàn qiánmiàn.

It’s in front of the MRT station.

它在___後面。

Tā zài ___ hòumiàn.

It's behind ___.

Meaning: 它在___後面 (Tā zài ___ hòumiàn) means “It’s behind ___.”

When to use: Use it when something is behind a landmark.

它在百貨公司後面。

Tā zài bǎihuò gōngsī hòumiàn.

It’s behind the department store.
它在餐廳後面

Tā zài cāntīng hòumiàn.

It’s behind the restaurant.

在第一個路口___轉。

Zài dì yī ge lùkǒu ___ zhuǎn.

Take the first ___.

Meaning: 在第一個路口___轉 (Zài dì yī ge lùkǒu ___ zhuǎn) means “Take the first ___.”

When to use: Use it with 左 (zuǒ) for left or 右 (yòu) for right when giving a first-turn instruction.

在第一個路口右轉。

Zài dì yī ge lùkǒu yòu zhuǎn.

Take the first right.
在第一個路口左轉。

Zài dì yī ge lùkǒu zuǒ zhuǎn.

Take the first left.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna is looking for a café near the MRT station, and David gives her simple directions.

Anna and David stand on a sidewalk in Taiwan, looking toward a first intersection and nearby landmarks while practicing Traditional Chinese direction phrases in Taiwan Mandarin.

Where is the café located?

Portrait of Anna in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

Anna

不好意思，咖啡店在哪裡？

Bù hǎoyìsi, kāfēi diàn zài nǎlǐ?

Excuse me, where is the café?

Portrait of David in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

David

走到便利商店，然後在第一個路口右轉。

Zǒu dào biànlì shāngdiàn, ránhòu zài dì yī ge lùkǒu yòu zhuǎn.

Go to the convenience store, then take the first right.

Portrait of Anna in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

Anna

我要在便利商店轉嗎？

Wǒ yào zài biànlì shāngdiàn zhuǎn ma?

Do I turn at the convenience store?

Portrait of David in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

David

對，然後經過郵局。

Duì, ránhòu jīngguò yóujú.

Yes, then go past the post office.

Portrait of David in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

David

咖啡店在公園對面。

Kāfēi diàn zài gōngyuán duìmiàn.

The café is across from the park.

Portrait of Anna in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

Anna

太好了，謝謝

Tài hǎo le, xièxie!

Great, thank you!

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

How do you ask, “Do I turn at the MRT station?”

Which phrase means “Go past the post office”?

Which phrase means “It’s between the bank and the park”?

Which phrase means “Take the first left”?

Go to the convenience store.

你要去便利商店嗎？先___便利商店。

It’s across from the park.

A：捷運站在哪裡？B：它在公園___。

Take the first right.

A：我在第一個路口左轉嗎？B：不是，在第一個路口___轉。

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

我要在___轉嗎？

Wǒ yào zài ___ zhuǎn ma?

Do I turn at ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

走到___

Zǒu dào ___.

Go to ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

經過___

Jīngguò ___.

Go past ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

穿過___

Chuānguò ___.

Cross ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

它在___對面。

Tā zài ___ duìmiàn.

It's across from ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

它在___和___中間。

Tā zài ___ hé ___ zhōngjiān.

It's between ___ and ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

它在___前面。

Tā zài ___ qiánmiàn.

It's in front of ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

它在___後面。

Tā zài ___ hòumiàn.

It's behind ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

在第一個路口___轉。

Zài dì yī ge lùkǒu ___ zhuǎn.

Take the first ___.