Usage note
方向表示前后左右或朝向某处的路。
fāng xiàng biǎo shì qián hòu zuǒ yòu huò cháo xiàng mǒu chù de lù。
方向 means the direction of front, back, left, right, or toward a place.
Context note
方向常出现在地图、问路和动作描述里。
fāng xiàng cháng chū xiàn zài dì tú 、 wèn lù hé dòng zuò miáo shù lǐ。
Direction often appears in maps, asking for directions, and action descriptions.
5 examples
请告诉我方向。
qǐng gào sù wǒ fāng xiàng。
Please tell me the direction.
我们往这个方向走。
wǒ men wǎng zhè ge fāng xiàng zǒu。
We walk in this direction.
方向错了。
fāng xiàng cuò le。
The direction is wrong.
右边是这个方向。
yòu biān shì zhè ge fāng xiàng。
The right side is this direction.
他分不清方向。
tā fēn bù qīng fāng xiàng。
He cannot tell directions apart.
5 mini stories
在地图上找方向很重要。
zài dì tú shàng zhǎo fāng xiàng hěn zhòng yào。
Finding directions on a map is important.
老师说走路的时候要先看方向。
lǎo shī shuō zǒu lù de shí hòu yào xiān kàn fāng xiàng。
The teacher said to look at the direction first when walking.
风向变了，方向也跟着变了。
fēng xiàng biàn le， fāng xiàng yě gēn zhe biàn le。
The wind direction changed, and the direction changed too.
我第一次去那儿，不太清楚方向。
wǒ dì yī cì qù nà ér， bú tài qīng chǔ fāng xiàng。
It was my first time going there, and I was not very clear about the direction.
爸爸教我认方向，我学会了左和右。
bà ba jiào wǒ rèn fāng xiàng， wǒ xué huì le zuǒ hé yòu。
Dad taught me directions, and I learned left and right.
Mini dialogue
问路
A
请问，去图书馆往哪个方向走？
Qǐngwèn, qù túshūguǎn wǎng nǎge fāngxiàng zǒu?
Excuse me, which direction is the library?
B
一直往前走，然后左转就到了。
Yīzhí wǎng qián zǒu, ránhòu zuǒ zhuǎn jiù dào le.
Go straight ahead, then turn left and you'll be there.
看地图
A
你能帮我看看地图吗？我分不清方向。
Nǐ néng bāng wǒ kànkan dìtú ma? Wǒ fēn bù qīng fāngxiàng.
Can you help me look at the map? I can't tell the direction.
B
当然可以。你看，学校就在这个方向。
Dāngrán kěyǐ. Nǐ kàn, xuéxiào jiù zài zhège fāngxiàng.
Of course. Look, the school is in this direction.
Related words and contrasts
related
位置
wèizhì
location; position
Direction helps you find a location
related
路
lù
road; path
You follow a road in a certain direction