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Using 向 (xiàng) for Direction and Path (HSK 3)
向 (xiàng) introduces the direction in which someone moves, turns, or looks. Learn to put the direction before the action and distinguish heading toward a place from arriving there.
沿着这条路向东走。
向东 comes before 走 and states the direction of walking.
× 他向了右转。
Do not attach 了 to the preposition 向. Put it after the action verb 转 in this sentence.
Corrected example: 他向右转了。
Read the full explanation and examples
Direction and Path
The supplied outline lists 向2 under “introducing direction and path” at HSK 3. This lesson therefore focuses on spatial direction. The same page lists 向1 separately for introducing a person or other target; that is a different lesson.
Put a direction such as 东, 左, or 前 after 向. You can also name a place toward which an action is directed, as in 向车站走. The verb tells you whether the person is walking, turning, looking, or performing another directed action.
Basic Word Order
Use 向 + Direction before a motion or orientation verb: 向东走, 向左转, 向前看. A subject may be omitted in instructions when the listener is understood.
沿着这条路向东走。
向东 comes before 走 and states the direction of walking.
到路口向左转。
向左 tells you which way to turn; 到路口 tells you where to turn.
A Direction Is Not an Arrival
Compare a compass direction, a relative direction, and a destination. The 向 phrase tells you the orientation of the action, not necessarily its completed result.
- Compass directions: 向东走 means walk east; the direction can be understood without naming a destination.
- Relative directions: 向左转 and 向前看 use the person’s position or orientation as their reference.
他们正向车站走。
向车站 gives a direction or goal. The sentence does not say that they have arrived.
请向前看，不要回头。
向 can describe the direction of a gaze, not only travel from one place to another.
向车站走 means “walk toward the station.” 到车站了 states that someone has reached the station. 向前看 describes where to look and does not require the person to move.
向, 往, and 朝
These words overlap in many direction phrases, but learn them with the verbs and contexts in which they occur.
- With ordinary movement, 向 and 往 often overlap: 向东走 / 往东走. Neither expression by itself says the destination has been reached.
- 朝 also marks orientation: 朝前看 / 向前看. The choice can depend on the phrase and context; it is not a universal substitution rule.
- Compare 向老师学习 (learn from the teacher) with 向东走 (walk east). The first names a person as the target of learning; the second names a spatial direction. Learn the meaning of the whole phrase.
Keep 了 with the Action Verb
In the example below, 向 is a preposition and cannot take aspect 了 directly. Put the direction phrase 向右 before 转, then place 了 after the action verb. Do not infer that every 向 must precede a verb: constructions such as 走向大门 have a different structure.
× 他向了右转。
Do not attach 了 to the preposition 向. Put it after the action verb 转 in this sentence.
Corrected example: 他向右转了。
他向右转了。
向右 is the direction phrase; 转 is the verb. 了 follows 转.
Frequently asked questions
What does the label 向2 mean here?
The number distinguishes the outline’s listed use. On page 392, 向2 is grouped under direction and path; 向1 is listed separately under target-introducing prepositions. It is not a tone number.
Does 向车站走 mean someone has arrived?
No. It states the direction of walking. Use a result such as 到车站了 when you mean that the person has arrived.
Can 向 describe looking without movement?
Yes. 向前看 means look ahead. Here 向 marks the direction of the gaze; the person need not travel anywhere.
