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How to say “toward” in Chinese with 朝, 向 and 往

朝 (cháo) / 向 (xiàng) / 往 (wǎng) + Direction + Verb

朝 (zhāo) vs 向 (xiàng) vs 往 (wǎng) — direction prepositions

HSK 5Prepositions

Rule structure

朝 (cháo) is used for concrete directions, often with body movements. 向 (xiàng) can be concrete or abstract. 往 (wǎng) is used for concrete destinations with verbs of motion. All mean "toward".

Examples

他朝前走。 / 请向左转。 / 鸟往东飞。

Tā cháo qián zǒu. / Qǐng xiàng zuǒ zhuǎn. / Niǎo wǎng dōng fēi.

He walks forward. / Please turn left. / The bird flies east.

Practice

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Characters

Words from this rule

朝

cháo

Facing; dynasty

向

xiàng

Towards

往

wǎng

(preposition) toward, in the direction of...; past

他

tā

He

前

qián

Front; before, ago

走

zǒu

To walk, to leave, to move

请

qǐng

To invite, to ask, please, to treat

鸟

niǎo

Bird

东

dōng

East

飞

fēi

To fly

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “direction prepositions” in Chinese with 朝 vs 向 vs 往?

Use the structure: 朝 (cháo) / 向 (xiàng) / 往 (wǎng) + Direction + Verb. For example: 他朝前走。 / 请向左转。 / 鸟往东飞。 — “He walks forward. / Please turn left. / The bird flies east”.

What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?

他朝前走。 / 请向左转。 / 鸟往东飞。 — “He walks forward. / Please turn left. / The bird flies east”.

Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?

This grammar rule is part of HSK 5.

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