Go in with a purpose.
You are on foot in an unfamiliar city and want to find the subway. Your goal is a usable direction, not a long conversation.
Your goal: Ask where a place is, recognise left/right, and decide whether you need clarification.
Before you speak
- Have the place name written on your phone so you can show it if pronunciation is difficult.
- Listen for the direction and the travel time as separate pieces of information.
- Use a short follow-up question instead of trying to say everything at once.
The conversation
你好，请问…
Nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn…
Hello, excuse me…
你好，有什么事吗？
Nǐ hǎo, yǒu shénme shì ma?
Hello, can I help you?
地铁站在哪里？
Dìtiě zhàn zài nǎlǐ?
Where is the subway station?
就在前面。
Jiù zài qiánmiàn.
It’s just ahead.
远吗？
Yuǎn ma?
Is it far?
不远，走路五分钟。
Bù yuǎn, zǒulù wǔ fēnzhōng.
Not far—a five-minute walk.
往左走还是往右走？
Wǎng zuǒ zǒu háishi wǎng yòu zǒu?
Should I go left or right?
往右走。
Wǎng yòu zǒu.
Go right.
谢谢你的帮助！
Xièxie nǐ de bāngzhù!
Thank you for your help!
不客气！
Bú kèqi!
You’re welcome!
Change a detail, keep the structure.
…在哪里？
… zài nǎlǐ?Where is…?Put the place before 在哪里: 地铁站在哪里？ Swap only the place to ask the same useful question.
往右走。
Wǎng yòu zǒu.Go right.Listen for 右 (yòu), right, or 左 (zuǒ), left. Keep the direction word as part of the whole instruction.
远吗？
Yuǎn ma?Is it far?吗 makes this a yes/no question. A distance question helps you decide whether to walk or choose transport.
Understand more than the script.
A place name can do part of the work
The frame …在哪里？ works with a station, hotel or restroom. Show the destination in writing when necessary; you do not need an advanced sentence to make your intention clear.
Choose between two alternatives
往左走还是往右走？ asks “left or right?” 还是 (háishi) offers alternatives inside a question. Listen for the reply rather than assuming the first option is correct.
Confirm the unit as well as the number
五分钟 (wǔ fēnzhōng) is five minutes. A number without its unit is incomplete information. Say the place or direction back if you need to check what you heard.
Language reference: MIT OpenCourseWare · Learning Chinese, Units 1–4. Dialogues and teaching notes are original examples.