Lesson 7: Asking the Way to School

东南西北

Learn 在 + 地点 + 动词 and 在 + 方位词 through Asking the Way to School.

13 words2 grammar points1 dialogues~12 min

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Vocabulary13 words

东dōngNoun

eastindicates a direction on a map

Examples

太阳从东边升起。

tàiyángcóngdōngbianshēngqǐ。

The sun rises in the east.

东边dōngbianNoun

1.east, eastern side
2.the east side (of an object or place)usually used to indicate a direction or relative position

Examples

学校的东边有一个公园。

xuéxiàodedōngbianyǒuyígègōngyuán。

There is a park to the east of the school.

北běiNoun

northindicates a direction on a map

Examples

我的房间朝北。

wǒdefángjiāncháoběi。

My room faces north.

北边běibianNoun

1.north, northern side
2.the north side (of an object or place)usually used to indicate a direction or relative position

Examples

学校在医院的北边。

xuéxiàozàiyīyuàndeběibian。

The school is to the north of the hospital.

北边有一条河。

běibianyǒuyìtiáohé。

There is a river to the north.

南nánNoun

southIndicates a direction on a map.

Examples

中国南方很热。

zhōngguónánfānghěnrè。

Southern China is very hot.

南边nánbianNoun

1.south, the south side
2.the south (of a country or region)Commonly used in everyday speech to indicate a direction or location.

Examples

我家在学校的南边。

wǒjiāzàixuéxiàodenánbian。

My home is south of the school.

南边的城市很热。

nánbiandechéngshìhěnrè。

The southern cities are very hot.

右yòuNoun

right side; the rightThe direction opposite to the left, used for direction or position.

Examples

学校在我的右边。

xuéxiàozàiwǒdeyòubian。

The school is on my right.

请向右转。

qǐngxiàngyòuzhuǎn。

Please turn right.

左zuǒNoun

1.left side; the leftThe direction opposite to the right.
2.left (as in "on the left-hand side")Often used in giving directions.

Examples

请向左转。

qǐngxiàngzuǒzhuǎn。

Please turn left.

我的左边有一棵树。

wǒdezuǒbianyǒuyìkēshù。

There is a tree on my left.

西xīNoun

westindicates a direction on a map

Examples

我家在西边。

wǒjiāzàixībian。

My home is to the west.

西边xībianNoun

1.the west side, to the west
2.the western areausually used to indicate a direction or position

Examples

学校在公园的西边。

xuéxiàozàigōngyuándexībian。

The school is to the west of the park.

太阳从西边落下。

tàiyángcóngxībianluòxià。

The sun sets in the west.

路口lùkǒuNoun

intersection, crossroadsA place where roads meet.

Examples

我在路口等你。

wǒzàilùkǒuděngnǐ。

I'll wait for you at the intersection.

前面是一个路口。

qiánmiànshìyígèlùkǒu。

There is an intersection ahead.

上学shàngxuéVerb

1.to go to school
2.to attend schoolrefers to going to school to study

Examples

我明天上学。

wǒmíngtiānshàngxué。

I go to school tomorrow.

他每天早上八点上学。

tāměitiānzǎoshàngbādiǎnshàngxué。

He goes to school at eight every morning.

中学生zhōngxuéshēngNoun

secondary school studentUsually refers to middle and high school students.

Examples

他是一个中学生。

tāshìyígèzhōngxuéshēng。

He is a secondary school student.

中学生每天都要上学。

zhōngxuéshēngměitiāndōuyàoshàngxué。

Secondary school students go to school every day.

Grammar

Doing What and Where

S + 在 + 地点 + 动词

This pattern is used to express an action taking place at a specific location. '在' comes before the place, followed by the verb.

学生在学校上课。

xuéshēngzàixuéxiàoshàngkè。

The students are having class at school.

我在路口等你。

wǒzàilùkǒuděngnǐ。

I'll wait for you at the intersection.

Indicating Direction

在 + 方位词

This structure is used to indicate the location of a thing or person relative to a reference point. '在' combines with direction words such as '东边', '北边', '右边'... to describe the location specifically.

图书馆在路口的北边。

túshūguǎnzàilùkǒudeběibian。

The library is on the north side of the intersection.

商店在我的右边。

shāngdiànzàiwǒdeyòubian。

The shop is on my right.

Dialogues

Asking the Way to School

A friend asks for directions to the middle school.

小花

你好，请问中学在哪里？

nǐhǎo，qǐngwènzhōngxuézàinǎli？

Hello, excuse me, where is the middle school?

小明

中学在路口的西边。

zhōngxuézàilùkǒudexībian。

The middle school is on the west side of the intersection.

小花

路口在哪里？

lùkǒuzàinǎli？

Where is the intersection?

小明

你从这里往前走，路口在左边。

nǐcóngzhèliwǎngqiánzǒu，lùkǒuzàizuǒbian。

Go straight from here — the intersection is on the left.

小花

谢谢！路口那边有什么？

xièxie！lùkǒunàbianyǒushénme？

Thanks! What's around that intersection?

小明

路口那边有商店，也有学校。

lùkǒunàbianyǒushāngdiàn，yěyǒuxuéxiào。

There's a shop there, and a school too.

小花

中学在路口的东边还是西边？

zhōngxuézàilùkǒudedōngbianháishìxībian？

Is the middle school on the east or the west side of the intersection?

小明

东边是商店，西边是中学。

dōngbianshìshāngdiàn，xībianshìzhōngxué。

The east side is a shop and the west side is the middle school.

小花

北边和南边有什么？

běibianhénánbianyǒushénme？

What’s on the north and south sides?

小明

北边是商场，南边是我家。中学生都在这里上学。

běibianshìshāngchǎng，nánbianshìwǒjiā。zhōngxuéshēngdōuzàizhèlishàngxué。

The north side is a mall and the south side is my home. The middle-school students all study here.