eric
/
ChineseGrammarWiki


			
							123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105
							<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE html>

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops">
<head>
<title>Expressing "towards" with "xiang"</title>
<link href="../Styles/main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"/>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Expressing "towards" with "xiang"
</h1>


<p>向 (xiàng) is a preposition that means "towards" and is used often when expressing or referring to a certain point.</p>

<h2>Contents</h2>

  
<div class="contents"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1 Used as "towards" </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.1 Structure </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.2 Examples </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2 Used as "from" </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.1 Examples </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3 See also </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4 Sources and further reading </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4.1 Books</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>

<h2>Used as "towards"</h2>

<h3>Structure</h3>

<p>When used as a preposition, "向" indicates an action that is performed towards a reference point but doesn't have any actual motion towards that point.</p>

<div class="deux">向 + Direction / Person + Verb</div>

<h3>Examples</h3>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">向 东 走 。
Xiàng dōng zǒu.
Walk to the east. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">向 前 看 。
Xiàng qián kàn.
Look forward. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">向 左 转 。
Xiàng zuǒ zhuǎn.
Turn left. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">老师 正 向 我们 走 来 。
Lǎoshī zhèng xiàng wǒmen zǒu lái.
The teacher is walking towards us. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">火车 已经 开 了 ，她 还在 向 我 招手 。
Huǒchē yǐjīng kāi le, tā hái zài xiàng wǒ zhāoshǒu.
The train already took off. She kept waving towards me. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 必须 向 他 道歉 ！
Nǐ bìxū xiàng tā dàoqiàn!
You must apologize to him! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">这 件 事 你 应该 向 老板 汇报 一下 。
Zhè jiàn shì nǐ yīnggāi xiàng lǎobǎn huìbào yīxià.
You should report this to the boss!</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>

<h2>Used as "from"</h2>

<p>Whereas in English we would say "learn from someone," in Chinese this would be expressed as "learn toward someone," as in the following example (and famous propaganda slogan):
</p>
<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">向 雷锋 同志 学习 ！
Xiàng Léi Fēng tóngzhì xuéxí!
Learn from Comrade Lei Feng!</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>More examples:</h3>


<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我 不 喜欢 向 朋友 借钱 。
Wǒ bù xǐhuan xiàng péngyou jiè qián.
I don't like to borrow money from my friends. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 会 向 陌生人 求助 吗 ？
Nǐ huì xiàng mòshēngrén qiúzhù ma?
Would you ask strangers for help? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我们 都 没 经验 ，是 来 向 你 请教 的 。
Wǒmen dōu méi jīngyàn, lái xiàng nǐ qǐngjiào de.
None of us have experience. We're here to ask you for advice.</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>See also</h3>

<div class="See-also">Using "dui"
Expressing "toward" with "wang"
Expressing "with" with "gen"</div>
<h3>Sources and further reading</h3>

<h4>Books</h4>

<div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 84) →buy </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (pp. 214) [ →buy] </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp. 77) →buy</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
</body>
</html>