When you are lost in a Chinese-speaking city, a polite question gets you much further than a blunt one. In this workshop you will practice two ways to ask where a place is, listen for a short route answer, and then take both roles in a complete exchange. The recordings give you the exact lines to use, so you can focus on speaking them clearly and confidently.
Two polite ways to ask where something is
The simplest polite opener is a short apology plus a question. «请问，车站在哪里？» means "Excuse me, where is the station?" The apology at the start softens the question, and the rest asks for the location of the station. A slightly softer version uses a phrase that means "may I ask" or "could you tell me." «您能告诉我车站在哪里吗？» means "Could you tell me where the station is?" Both lines ask for the same information, but the second sounds a little more indirect and polite. When you speak them, keep your voice calm and let the question rise gently at the end. If you are asking about a train station specifically, «请问，去火车站怎么走？» means "Excuse me, how do I get to the train station?" This asks for the way to go rather than just the location, so it is useful when you expect a route answer.
Asking about a nearby place and understanding the reply
Sometimes you do not need the main station; you need to know whether something is close by. «您能告诉我附近有地铁站吗？» means "Could you tell me if there is a subway station nearby?" This is a yes-or-no question about a nearby subway station. When someone answers, listen for a direction and a landmark. «火车站啊，一直往前走，然后左转。» means "The train station? Go straight ahead, then turn left." The speaker first repeats the place to confirm it, then gives two movements: go straight, then turn left. Notice that this is an instruction to turn left, not a description of something on the left side. Later in the same exchange, «有，就在火车站对面。» means "Yes, it's right across from the train station." Here the answer tells you it is directly opposite the train station. The word for "across from" tells you the two places face each other, so you can look for one to find the other.
Putting the exchange together
A full exchange can start with a polite question, receive a route answer, and then continue with a follow-up question. «请问，您能告诉我火车站在哪里吗？» means "Excuse me, could you tell me where the train station is?" This is a polite request for the location of the train station. The reply «火车站啊，一直往前走，然后左转。» gives the route. Then the first speaker thanks the helper and asks a new question with «谢谢！那附近有地铁站吗？», which means "Thank you! Is there a subway station nearby?" The helper answers with «有，就在火车站对面。», giving the position across from the train station. When you practice, keep the order: question, reply, thanks plus new question, then the final answer. If you swap roles, you change who reads each part, but the order of the conversation stays the same.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
请问，车站在哪里？
Excuse me, where is the station?
Qǐngwèn, chēzhàn zài nǎlǐ?
您能告诉我车站在哪里吗？
Could you tell me where the station is?
Nín néng gàosù wǒ chēzhàn zài nǎlǐ ma?
请问，去火车站怎么走？
Excuse me, how do I get to the train station?
Qǐngwèn, qù huǒchēzhàn zěnme zǒu?
您能告诉我附近有地铁站吗？
Could you tell me if there is a subway station nearby?
Nín néng gàosù wǒ fùjìn yǒu dìtiězhàn ma?
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
请问，您能告诉我火车站在哪里吗？
Excuse me, could you tell me where the train station is?火车站啊，一直往前走，然后左转。
The train station? Go straight ahead, then turn left.谢谢！那附近有地铁站吗？
Thank you! Is there a subway station nearby?有，就在火车站对面。
Yes, it's right across from the train station.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided polite question
You are standing near a station and want to ask a stranger for help. You will read the polite question aloud, then check it against the recording.
Your task: Say the line from «请问，车站在哪里？» aloud as if you are stopping a stranger. Then say the line from «您能告诉我车站在哪里吗？» aloud as a softer version. After each one, listen to the recording and repeat it once more, matching the calm, polite tone.
Listen and choose the right reply
A helper has just heard you ask for the train station. You will hear or read the reply and decide what it tells you to do.
Your task: Read the reply «火车站啊，一直往前走，然后左转。». Then choose the correct meaning: (a) The train station is on your left side. (b) Go straight ahead, then turn left. (c) The train station is across from the subway station. Say your choice aloud, then say the full reply «火车站啊，一直往前走，然后左转。» once.
Recall the exchange with swapped roles
You will act out the full exchange twice. First you play the person asking for help, then you play the helper. The order of the conversation never changes.
Your task: First round: say «请问，您能告诉我火车站在哪里吗？» as the asker, then say «火车站啊，一直往前走，然后左转。» as the helper, then say «谢谢！那附近有地铁站吗？» as the asker, then say «有，就在火车站对面。» as the helper. Second round: swap roles, but keep the same order. The helper now begins by listening, and the asker still starts with the question.
Common questions
Do I need to memorize every line before speaking?
No. You can read each line aloud while looking at the recording reference, then try it once without looking. The goal is to become comfortable with the polite question and the route reply, not to perform perfectly on the first try.
What if I mix up the order when I swap roles?
Slow down and remember that swapping roles changes who speaks each part, not the order of the conversation. The asker still asks first, the helper still replies, then the asker thanks and asks a follow-up, and the helper gives the final answer.
Sources and further reading
- chinese: indirect questions asking directionsChecked September 2026
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