朝着 vs 向: what is the difference?
Both mean 'towards'. 朝着 stresses continuing in that direction and suits goals and movement: 朝着目标前进. 向 also marks the person you speak to: 向他道歉.
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 朝着 | cháo zhe | Means 'towards', for a direction of movement or development. | 朝着 + direction + verb |
| 向 | xiàng | Means 'towards', and also marks the person you speak to, ask or learn from. | 向 + Person / Direction + Verb |
朝着 (cháo zhe)
Means 'towards', for a direction of movement or development.
Structure: 朝着 + direction + verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 孩子朝着妈妈跑了过去。 | Hái zi cháo zhe mā ma pǎo le guò qù. | The child ran towards his mother. |
| 我们要朝着自己的目标不断努力。 | Wǒ men yào cháo zhe zì jǐ de mù biāo bú duàn nǔ lì. | We must keep working towards our goals. |
| 汽车朝着南边开去。 | Qì chē cháo zhe nán bian kāi qù. | The car drove off towards the south. |
Not: 他朝着看我。 朝着 is followed by the direction, then the verb: 朝着我看.
向 (xiàng)
Means 'towards', and also marks the person you speak to, ask or learn from.
Structure: 向 + Person / Direction + Verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他向我借了一本书。 | Tā xiàng wǒ jiè le yì běn shū. | He borrowed a book from me. |
| 我要向你学习。 | Wǒ yào xiàng nǐ xué xí. | I want to learn from you. |
| 他向门口走去。 | Tā xiàng mén kǒu zǒu qù. | He walked towards the door. |
Not: 他向我很感谢。 向 needs a verb after it. Say 他向我表示感谢。
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of Prepositions of Time, Place, Direction and Object (HSK 6) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 往 vs 向 · 朝 vs 向 · 从而 vs 进而 · 非…不可 vs 必须 · 格外 vs 非常 · 或多或少 vs 多多少少 · 即使…也… vs 虽然…但是… · 鉴于 vs 出于 · 时而…时而… vs 一时…一时… · 阵 vs 次 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 朝着 and 向?
Both mean 'towards'. 朝着 stresses continuing in that direction and suits goals and movement: 朝着目标前进. 向 also marks the person you speak to: 向他道歉.
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