What to say when someone asks you in Chinese how to get to the station (Shibuya Center-gai)
On Shibuya Center-gai, a traveler suddenly speaks to you in Chinese. They seem to be looking for Shibuya Station. What will you do?
The labels "Natural", "Gets across" and "Off track" and the one-line reasons are also written by AI as a rough guide. They are not guaranteed to be correct.
The people, their names and personalities, the scenes, directions, shop layouts and dishes are made up for practice. They are not real people, and they do not match real places.
Exchange 1 of 4
They
你好，请问一下，涩谷站怎么走？
Nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn yíxià, Sègǔ Zhàn zěnme zǒu?
Hello. Excuse me, how do I get to Shibuya Station?
The first line changes a little with each person
- 小丽 嗨，你好！我想去涩谷站，怎么走啊？
Hāi, nǐ hǎo! Wǒ xiǎng qù Sègǔ Zhàn, zěnme zǒu a?
Hi there! I want to go to Shibuya Station. How do I get there? - 小静 不好意思，打扰一下。我找涩谷站找了半天了，请问怎么走？
Bù hǎoyìsi, dǎrǎo yíxià. Wǒ zhǎo Sègǔ Zhàn zhǎo le bàntiān le, qǐngwèn zěnme zǒu?
Excuse me, sorry to bother you. I have been looking for Shibuya Station for a long time. How do I get there? - 小乐 你好你好！哇，这儿好热闹啊！请问涩谷站怎么走？
Nǐ hǎo nǐ hǎo! Wā, zhèr hǎo rènao a! Qǐngwèn Sègǔ Zhàn zěnme zǒu?
Hello, hello! Wow, it's so lively here! How do I get to Shibuya Station? - 小梅 你好！请问一下，涩谷站怎么走？我想自己走过去试试。
Nǐ hǎo! Qǐngwèn yíxià, Sègǔ Zhàn zěnme zǒu? Wǒ xiǎng zìjǐ zǒu guòqù shìshi.
Hello! Excuse me, how do I get to Shibuya Station? I want to try walking there by myself.
Example replies and how they sound
车站？那边。
Chēzhàn? Nàbian.
The station? That way.
Gets across This works, but it sounds a little blunt. A full sentence sounds softer.
好的。沿着这条路一直走。
Hǎo de. Yánzhe zhè tiáo lù yìzhí zǒu.
Sure. Go straight along this street.
Natural This sounds natural. "沿着…一直走" means "keep going straight along ...".
对，我喜欢涩谷。
Duì, wǒ xǐhuan Sègǔ.
Yes, I like Shibuya.
Off track This does not answer the question. They asked how to get to the station.
Exchange 2 of 4
They
谢谢。离这儿远吗？
Xièxie. Lí zhèr yuǎn ma?
Thank you. Is it far from here?
Example replies and how they sound
不远，走路五分钟左右。
Bù yuǎn, zǒulù wǔ fēnzhōng zuǒyòu.
No, it's about five minutes on foot.
Natural This sounds natural. "左右" after a number means "about".
对，是个很大的车站。
Duì, shì ge hěn dà de chēzhàn.
Yes, it is a big station.
Off track This does not answer the question. They asked whether it is far.
不远。五分钟。
Bù yuǎn. Wǔ fēnzhōng.
Not far. Five minutes.
Gets across This works. It is short, but it is enough when you are in a hurry.
Exchange 3 of 4
They
太好了。中间要拐弯吗？
Tài hǎo le. Zhōngjiān yào guǎiwān ma?
Great. Do I need to turn anywhere?
Example replies and how they sound
九点开门。
Jiǔ diǎn kāimén.
It opens at nine.
Off track This does not answer the question. They asked whether they need to turn.
左边。走到头。
Zuǒbian. Zǒu dào tóu.
Left. At the end.
Gets across This works, but it sounds a little blunt. Adding the verb, "往左拐", sounds more like giving directions.
要。走到头往左拐。
Yào. Zǒu dào tóu wǎng zuǒ guǎi.
Yes. Turn left at the end of the street.
Natural This sounds natural. You can answer "要…吗？" with "要。" "走到头" means "go to the end".
Exchange 4 of 4
They
明白了，先直走，再左拐。太谢谢你了！
Míngbai le, xiān zhí zǒu, zài zuǒ guǎi. Tài xièxie nǐ le!
Got it. Straight, then left. Thank you so much!
Example replies and how they sound
不客气。祝你玩得开心！
Bú kèqi. Zhù nǐ wán de kāixīn!
You're welcome. Have a great time!
Natural This sounds natural. "不客气" is the standard reply when someone thanks you.
好的，麻烦你了。
Hǎo de, máfan nǐ le.
OK, sorry to trouble you.
Off track This is not a reply to thanks. "麻烦你了" is what you say when you have asked someone for a favor.
没事儿。路上小心！
Méi shìr. Lùshang xiǎoxīn!
No problem. Take care on your way!
Natural This sounds natural. "没事儿" is a casual "no problem".
The closing line
They
谢谢，再见！
Xièxie, zàijiàn!
Thanks! Goodbye!
Useful phrases for this scene
- 沿着这条路一直走。
Yánzhe zhè tiáo lù yìzhí zǒu.
Go straight along this street. - 走到头往左拐。
Zǒu dào tóu wǎng zuǒ guǎi.
Turn left at the end of the street. - 走路五分钟左右。
Zǒulù wǔ fēnzhōng zuǒyòu.
It's about five minutes on foot. - 不好意思，请再说一遍。
Bù hǎoyìsi, qǐng zài shuō yí biàn.
Sorry, please say that again.
The lines, the pinyin, the notes and the English translations were written by AI. They have not been checked by a native Chinese speaker. The notes and the explanations of the names were compared with a dictionary by AI, but they have not been checked by a native Chinese speaker or a specialist.
The people, their names and personalities, the scenes, directions, shop layouts and dishes are made up for practice. They are not real people, and they do not match real places.
The pinyin has tone marks. "一" and "不" are written with the tones they take in speech (after tone change). Neutral-tone syllables have no mark. No person has checked that the pinyin matches the audio.
Other scenes
- What to say when someone asks you in Chinese how to buy a train ticket
- What to say when someone asks you in Chinese what you recommend at a small restaurant
- What to say when someone asks you in Chinese where the toothbrushes are in a drugstore
- What to say when someone asks you in Chinese to take their picture
- What to say when someone asks you in Chinese whether you have seen a black wallet
- All scenes