Essential Chinese Direction Words for Everyday Conversations

Imagine you want to tell a friend where you are going, like in front of the supermarket or to the left of a building. To do this, you need to know some key direction words. Today, let's learn six basic and commonly used Chinese direction words to make your Chinese communication more precise!

Core Vocabulary

前面 (qián miàn): Front
后面 (hòu miàn): Back / Behind
左面 (zuǒ miàn): Left
右面 (yòu miàn): Right
上面 (shàng miàn): On top / Above
下面 (xià miàn): Under / Below

Tip: You will often hear “边 (biān)” used instead of “面 (miàn),” like “前边 (qián biān)” or “左边 (zuǒ biān).” They mean the same thing! “面” is a bit more common in written language, but both are very popular in conversation!

 Visual Directions

A picture is worth a thousand words! Look at the diagram below to understand the basic meanings of these words.

How to Use: 在 + [Direction Word]

The most common structure is `在 + Direction Word`, meaning “to be located at...”.

Basic Sentence Structure：
Object/Person + 在 + Reference Object + 的 + Direction Word

Let’s look at some examples:

书在桌子的上面。  
shū zài zhuō zi de shàng miàn.  
The book is on the desk.

猫在盒子的下面。
 māo zài hézi de xià miàn.
The cat is under the box.

银行在超市的左面。
yín háng zài chāo shì de zuǒ miàn.  
The bank is to the left of the supermarket.

停车场在教学楼的后面。 
tíng chē chǎng zài jiào xué lóu de hòu miàn.
The parking lot is behind the teaching building.

请坐在我的前面。 
qǐng zuò zài wǒ de qián miàn. 
Please sit in front of me.

Quiz: Give It a Try!

Look at the pictures and fill in the blanks in Chinese.

Answers:
后面 (hòu miàn)
上面 (shàng miàn)
左面 (zuǒ miàn)
前面 (qián miàn)

Congratulations! You now have a grasp of six core Chinese direction words. Practice using phrases like “在...的前面/后面...” and soon you'll be able to give directions like a native speaker!