Answer to the Exercise on I’m Lost! – Asking for Directions in Chinese

Correct Answer: B
Unless you are superhero, you probably don’t know how to get to each and every one of your destinations. Instead, you have to swallow your pride, approach a stranger, and ask for some help in finding your way. It becomes even more necessary to learn how to ask for directions in Chinese if you are in China. Especially if your ability to read street signs isn’t top notch, asking for directions is the fastest way to find your way. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to see the local hospitality at its best, as strangers eagerly try to point you in the right direction.
The sentence structure for asking for directions is: “请问(Qǐngwèn) + some place + 怎么走(zěnme zǒu)?”
Here, “some place” can be substituted with a street name like “子午大道(Zǐwǔ dàdào) the Ziwu Road,” a famous site such as “天安门广场(tiān’ān mén guǎngchǎng) Tiananmen Square,” or any other place as in “卫生间(wèishēng jiān) toilet,” etc.
“怎么(zěnme)” means “how” and “走(zǒu)” means “to get to.” Putting all the elements together, the sentence means “How can I get to …?”

Example1

Jack: Qǐngwèn, chāoshì zěnme zǒu?
Jack:请问,      超市      怎么   走?
Jack: Excuse me. How can I get to the supermarket?

Wáng Lín: Zài qiánmiàn de shízì lùkǒu xiàng zuǒ zhuǎn, zài zǒu yìbǎi mǐ.
王       琳: 在    前面     的  十字  路口   向     左     转, 再  走  一百  米。
Wang Lin: Go to the crossroads up ahead, turn left and walk 100 meters.

Example2

Linda: Qǐngwèn, wèishēngjiān zěnme zǒu?
Linda:请问,      卫生间          怎么   走?
Linda: Excuse me, how can I get to the bathroom?

Zhāng Lěi: Xiàng qián zǒu wǔ fēnzhōng.
张        蕾:向      前    走   五   分钟。
Zhang Lei: Go straight for about five minutes.

In our test, Zhang Li wants to know how to get to the cinema. Option A means “How is the cinema?” and Option C uses the wrong word order. Only option B uses the right sentence structure: Some place + 怎么走(zěnme zǒu)? Therefore, the correct answer is B.
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