Directional Preposition: 朝, 向

Chinese grammar · HSK 3 · 方向介词 · By Carson 木林森 · Updated October 2026

朝 (cháo) and 向 (xiàng) are prepositions that point an action toward a person, place or direction, both roughly meaning toward. 朝 suits physical facing and gestures, while 向 also covers abstract targets, as in 向他学习.

朝 (cháo) "toward, facing" — mainly physical facing/gesture verbs aimed at a person or place: 朝我笑了笑、朝我点点头、朝窗外看。

Key rule: before abstract communicative verbs (道歉、请教、学习、表示、提出、承认), you MUST use 向 — 朝 cannot be used there. ❌ 朝他学习 → ✅ 向他学习.

Worked examples

Word by word

Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.

朝 (cháo)

Points to the direction something faces or moves toward.

Structure: 朝 + direction / place / person + verb

Not: 他朝我学习。 朝 is for physical direction; to learn from someone use 向: 他向我学习.

In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 5, prepositions (引出方向、路径).

向 (xiàng)

Marks the person or direction an action is aimed at, including learning or borrowing from someone.

Structure: 向 + person / direction + verb

Not: 我朝老师借了一本书。 To borrow from someone use 向 or 跟, not 朝: 我向老师借了一本书.

In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 3, prepositions (引出对象); level 3, prepositions (引出方向、路径).

向 is also explained in: Directional Prepositions: 往、向、从 (HSK 2).

Compared side by side: 朝 vs 向.

Produce this pattern without stopping to think about it. GraphChinese drills Directional Preposition across 12 exercises and schedules the review that keeps it.

What you need first

Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.

• Direction Words as Localizers
• Directional Prepositions

Questions about Directional Preposition

What does 方向介词 (Directional Preposition) mean in Chinese?

朝 (cháo) and 向 (xiàng) are prepositions that point an action toward a person, place or direction, both roughly meaning toward. 朝 suits physical facing and gestures, while 向 also covers abstract targets, as in 向他学习. It is an HSK 3 grammar point.

How do you use 方向介词 (Directional Preposition) in a sentence?

请向左转。 — Qǐng xiàng zuǒ zhuǎn. — Please turn left. 向 + direction word + verb, the simplest frame.

What do you need to know before 方向介词 (Directional Preposition)?

Direction Words as Localizers (HSK 1), Directional Prepositions (HSK 2). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.

What is the difference between 朝 and 向?

Both mark a direction. 朝 is physical, meaning facing or moving toward, as in 朝南. 向 also marks a person who receives an action, as in 向老师请教, and is the one used for learning from or borrowing from someone.

Can 向 come after the verb?

Only in a few set verbs such as 走向. For example 他走向教室 means he walked toward the classroom. In most other sentences 向 goes before the verb.

Related guides: All 195 grammar points · HSK 3 grammar · How to pass HSK 3 · The HSK levels, explained