In this workshop you will practice a short, practical exchange: getting a stranger's attention, asking where the nearest metro station is, understanding a simple route, and checking one important detail about crossing the road. You will hear each native line before you try it, so you always know what you are saying and what kind of reply to expect.
Getting attention and asking the question
A direct question works, but when you approach a stranger it is polite to open with an attention-getter. The recording «最近的地铁站在哪里？» is the plain question: it means you are asking where the nearest metro station is. The recording «请问，最近的地铁站在哪里？» adds an opening phrase before the same question; that opening is how you politely get a stranger's attention, like saying "excuse me" before you ask. Use «请问，最近的地铁站在哪里？» when you walk up to someone, and keep «最近的地铁站在哪里？» in mind as the core question you are asking. Say the opening phrase clearly, pause briefly, then ask the question. If the person does not catch it the first time, repeat the whole line slowly rather than adding new words.
Understanding the route reply
A short answer often comes as one or two direction words. The recording «一直走。» means "go straight." The recording «左转 / 右转。» gives a turning direction: it means "turn left" or "turn right." When these are combined, you get a route like the one in «一直走，然后左转。», which means "go straight, then turn left." Listen for the order: the first direction comes first, and the turn comes after it. Do not reorder the steps in your head; follow them as you hear them. If you only catch one word, you can still act on it, but it is fine to ask the speaker to repeat the whole route.
Checking one detail: crossing the road
After a route reply, one common detail is whether you must cross the road. The recording «要过马路吗？» is the question "Do I need to cross the road?" The recording «对，过马路，地铁站就在右边。» is a full reply: it means "Yes, cross the road; the metro station is on the right." Notice that the reply both answers the crossing question and adds a location detail. "On the right" describes where the station is, not an instruction to turn right. Keep that difference in mind: a location on the right tells you where something is, while a turn instruction tells you how to move.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
最近的地铁站在哪里？
Where is the nearest metro station?
Zuìjìn de dìtiě zhàn zài nǎlǐ?
请问，最近的地铁站在哪里？
Excuse me, where is the nearest metro station?
Qǐngwèn, zuìjìn de dìtiě zhàn zài nǎlǐ?
一直走。
Go straight.
Yìzhí zǒu.
左转 / 右转。
Turn left / Turn right.
Zuǒ zhuǎn / yòu zhuǎn.
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
不好意思，请问最近的地铁站在哪里？
Excuse me, where is the nearest metro station?一直走，然后左转。
Go straight, then turn left.要过马路吗？
Do I need to cross the road?对，过马路，地铁站就在右边。
Yes, cross the road; the metro station is on the right.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: ask and follow the route
Imagine you are on a street and you need the metro. You approach a stranger. You will play the person asking, and your practice partner (or the audio) will play the stranger giving directions.
Your task: First, get the stranger's attention and ask your question using «请问，最近的地铁站在哪里？». Then listen to the route reply «一直走，然后左转。». Repeat the route back to yourself in the same order you heard it, and act it out: go straight first, then turn left.
Reply comprehension: choose the matching answer
You have just asked where the nearest metro station is. Your partner gives one of the recorded replies. Your job is to choose what it means before you move.
Your task: Listen to «一直走。» and «左转 / 右转。». For each one, choose the matching meaning: (a) go straight, or (b) turn left or turn right. Then listen to «对，过马路，地铁站就在右边。» and choose the matching meaning: (a) yes, cross the road; the station is on the right, or (b) no, do not cross the road; the station is on the left.
Recall with correct roles: ask, reply, and check
This time you will run the full exchange from memory with a partner. One person is the traveler asking for the metro; the other is the stranger giving directions. Decide who starts as the traveler. Hide or pause the recordings before you begin.
Your task: The traveler asks using «请问，最近的地铁站在哪里？». The stranger replies with «一直走，然后左转。». The traveler then asks the crossing question «要过马路吗？». The stranger answers with «对，过马路，地铁站就在右边。». After you finish, swap roles and run the same four steps in the same order.
Common questions
Do I need to use the polite opening every time I ask?
The plain question «最近的地铁站在哪里？» is understandable on its own. The opening in «请问，最近的地铁站在哪里？» is useful when you approach a stranger, because it gets their attention before you ask. Use «请问，最近的地铁站在哪里？» when you walk up to someone, and you can still recognize «最近的地铁站在哪里？» as the core question.
How do I tell a location on the right from an instruction to turn right?
In «对，过马路，地铁站就在右边。», the phrase about the right tells you where the metro station is, so it is a location detail. In «左转 / 右转。», the turning direction tells you how to move. Listen for whether the speaker is describing a place or giving you a movement step.
Sources and further reading
- chinese: ask for the nearest metro stationChecked September 2026
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