Asking for directions — Directions to the restaurant

你

You

"你" is the informal "you", used in most conversations.

Personal pronouns are direct and implied respect or familiarity.

好

Good

This is a general word for 'good', pronounced like (how), but with a flat tone.

Chinese people often link '好' with different words to express positivity, like '好吃' (delicious).

你好

Hello

A common greeting, sounds like 'knee how'.

Use [你好] to greet someone during the day. It's warm and friendly.

我

I

可以

Can

问

Ask

Pronounced (wen), sounds like 'when'.

Asking questions is seen positively as a way of showing interest.

我可以问

Can I ask

A polite inquiry, make sure it rises slightly in tone at the end.

Always good to preface questions with [我可以问] to show politeness.

路

Directions

Pronounced (loo), also means 'road'.

In China, knowing the literal translation of roads and streets can help navigate.

当然

Of course

Sounds like (dahng ran), often used to affirm.

Chinese people use this to reinforce agreement or to help others feel assured.