How to use 朝；向；往
朝 / 向 / 往 + direction + suitable verb
朝, 向, and 往 can introduce a direction before a movement verb, but their overlap is limited. 往 strongly suits movement toward a place, while 朝 often emphasizes facing or directing an action toward a target. 向 covers spatial direction and also many abstract targets, including the person from whom someone learns or to whom a request is directed.
Position matters as well as meaning. Certain verb-plus-direction combinations naturally use 往 or 向 after the verb, so a pre-verbal substitution rule does not apply there. For an action directed at someone without movement to their location, check whether 朝 or 向 is the appropriate choice. Learn common combinations rather than treating all three as identical translations of toward.
Examples with pinyin and English
从这里向 / 朝 / 往北走两百米就到了。
From here, go one hundred meters north, and you'll get there.
这个小女孩向左看看又向右看看才过马路。
This little girl looked left and then looked right before crossing the street.
我看见他朝你们家去了。
I saw him going towards your house.
往前走十分钟。
Walk forward for ten minutes.
What to remember
- Separate a movement destination from an action's target.
- Use 向 in many abstract directed relationships.
- Check whether the direction word comes before or after the verb.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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