{{Grammar Box}} 


All three of these, 朝 (cháo), 向 (xiàng), and 往 (wǎng) can be used to indicate direction or position. When these preposition phrases are used in before the verb, the three have the same structure and their meaning is the same. You can swap them in and out. At other times, however, they are used differently, and this article will help you differentiate when you are supposed to use which one.



== When using "朝," "向," and "往" is appropriate==

=== Structure ===

Just put one of the three before the direction and the verb!

<div class="jiegou">


向 / 朝 / 往 + 具体方向 + Verb

</div>

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">

* 从 这里 <em>向</em> / <em>朝</em> / <em>往</em> 北 走 两 百 米 就 到 了。<span class="trans">From here, go one hundred meters north, and you'll get there.</span>
* 这 个 小 女孩 <em>向</em> 左 看看 又 向 右 看看 才 过 马路。<span class="trans">This little girl looked left and then looked right before crossing the street.</span>
* 我 看见 他 <em>朝</em> 你们 家 去 了。<span class="trans">I saw him going towards your house.</span>
* <em>往</em> 前 走 十 分 钟。<span class="trans">Walk forward for ten minutes.</span>

</div>

== When to use "向" and "往" ==

向 and 往 can be placed after the verb, however it has to be used with an appropriate verb, Often used verbs are 开, 飞, 发, 运, 送, 寄, 带, 驶 etc. As you can see, these are words that at least imply some sort of motion. In addition, compared to 向, 往 is used more often with those verbs, because 往 expresses the destination while 向 merely expresses a direction, 朝 cannot be used this way.


=== Structure ===

<div class="jiegou">
Verb + 向 / 往 + 具体方向
</div>

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">
* 这 趟 火车 开 <em>往</em> 沈阳。<span class="trans">This train is heading towards Shenyang.</span>
* 这 趟 航班 飞 <em>往</em> 纽约。<span class="trans">This plane is flying to New York.</span>
* 一 辆 黑 色 的 小 轿车 慢慢地 从 东 驶 <em>向</em> 西。<span class="trans">The black limo slowly went from East to West.</span>
* 像 鸟儿 一样 飞 <em>向</em> 蓝天。<span class="trans">The little birds flew towards the sky.</span>
</div>

== When to use "向" and "朝" ==

When the action that takes place is specified to a specific target, use 向 or 朝. 往 cannot be used this way. Also, when the verb is a concrete action, the use of 向 and 朝 are the same, and they can be interchanged. 



=== Structure ===

<div class="jiegou">
向 / 朝 + 动作的对象 + 具体意义的动词
</div>

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">
* 他 <em>向</em> / <em>朝</em> 我 笑 了 笑。<span class="trans">He laughed at me.</span>
* 我 <em>朝</em> 他 开 了 一 枪。<span class="trans">I shot a gun at him.</span>
* 他 已经 <em>向</em> 全体 员工 解释 过 了。<span class="trans">He has already explained it to the employees.</span>
</div>

== When to use just "向" ==

When the verb has an abstract meaning, you can only use 向, and you cannot use 朝.



=== Structure ===

<div class="jiegou">
向 +  Direction + Abstract Verb
</div>

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">
* 他 是 优秀 员工，我们 都 要 <em>向</em> 他 学习。 <span class="trans">He is an exemplary employee, we should all study him.</span>
* 我们 要 <em>向</em> 环保 部门 要求 严查 工厂 排污。<span class="trans">We are going to make the Environmental Safety Department closely examine the factory sewage.</span>
</div>

== Examples of right and wrong sentences ==

<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li class="o">这 个 地铁 是 开 <em>往</em> 浦东 机场 的 吗 ？</li>
<li class="o">你 要 多 <em>向</em> 他 学习 学习 。</li>
<li class="o">帅哥 <em>朝</em> 我 笑 了 一下 。</li>
</ul>
</div>

<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li class="x">你 现在 是 开 <em>朝</em> 市 中心 吗？</li>
<li class="x"><em>朝</em> 雷锋 同志 学习！</li>
<li class="x"><em>往</em> 雷锋 同志 学习！</li>
<li class="x">帅哥 <em>往</em> 我 笑 了。</li>
</ul>
</div>

== Example dialog ==

<div class="liju">
* A: 他 <em>往</em> 南 走 了 。<span class="trans">He walked south.</span>
* B: 你 怎么 让 他 <em>往</em> 南 走 呢 ？南 边 很 危险 。<span class="trans">Why did you make him go south? Going south is dangerous.</span>
* A: 你 <em>朝</em> 我 发 什么 火？我 说 了 他 不 听 。<span class="trans">Why are you mad at me? I told him but he didn't listen</span>
* B: 不好意思 ，我 应该 <em>向</em> 你 道歉 。<span class="trans">I'm sorry. I should apologize to you.</span>
</div>

== See Also ==

== Sources and further reading ==

=== Books ===

*[[现代汉语八百词（增订本）]] ("向"，"朝"与"往"p.196) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1 →buy]

*[[现代汉语虚词例释]] (朝p.79, 向 p.505)[http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B004323J90/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1 →buy]


[[Category:grammar comparison]]
{{Basic Grammar|朝|B2|朝 vs 向 vs 往|<em>往</em> 前 走 十 分 钟。<em>向</em> 雷锋 同志 学习！他 <em>朝</em> 我 笑 了 笑。|grammar point|ASGIHS2L}}
{{Rel char|向}}
{{Rel char|往}}
{{Used for|Describing things}}
{{Used for|Describing actions}}
{{Similar|Expressing "toward" with "wang"}}
{{Comparison|Prepositions}}