How to Ask for Directions in Chinese

Turns, landmarks, and walking estimates

Where is it, and how do I get there?

在哪里 asks where a place is. 怎么走 asks how to get there. A reply to the first may be a location such as 在银行对面, across from the bank. The second can produce a sequence such as 一直走，然后左转, go straight then turn left. Point at your intended destination if similarly named places could be confused.

Find the word that orders the actions

然后 means then. 先…再… establishes first one action and then another. In 过了第二个红绿灯再右转, the turn is after passing the second traffic light, not at the first light and not before the second. If the sequence is hard to follow, confirm the first landmark and the turn that follows it.

Across from, beside, and inside

对面 is across from or opposite; 旁边 is beside. 里面 is inside, and 外面 is outside. A place can be on your right after a left turn, so the apparent contradiction may be a change of viewpoint. Ask about the named landmark: 是在药店旁边吗 checks a relationship more clearly than pointing vaguely and saying there.

Ask time with a mode of travel

走路要多久 asks how long on foot. 坐车要多久 asks how long by vehicle. 大概五分钟 is an estimate, and without a travel mode it can be misleading. If the answer is about driving but you are walking, say 我走路去 to clarify. Use pedestrian signs and a map to check the walking route.

Check whose left is meant

A person facing you can have a different left from yours. If their gesture and spoken direction seem inconsistent, point along the proposed route and ask 往这边走吗, do I go this way? The visible direction gives you a shared reference point. On a map, turn the screen so you both recognize the same street or entrance. Near a large building, 到门口 describes arrival at an entrance, while 到里面 describes going inside. Confirm the intended endpoint before assuming that reaching the correct street completes the route. A clear landmark is often more helpful than repeating a direction word without a shared viewpoint.