向 (xiàng) is a coverb that aims an action at a target. It has two faces. The first is ordinary direction — 向前 (forward), 向左 (leftward), 向上 (upward). The second, and the more useful one to master, is a person as the target of the action: 向他学习 (learn from him), 向老师请教 (seek advice from the teacher), 向大家问好 (send everyone my regards). English collapses all of this into "toward / to / from," but 向 has one clean job — it draws a line from the subject to whatever the action is pointed at. It is noticeably more abstract and more formal than 往, and unlike 往 it takes human objects comfortably.
Pointing in a direction
The simplest use is 向 + a direction word + a motion verb. Here 向 is close to English "toward," and it often reads as slightly more formal or more figurative than everyday 往.
向前走五十米就到了。
xiàng qián zǒu wǔshí mǐ jiù dào le
Walk fifty meters forward and you're there. (neutral) — 向前 = toward the front.
向左转，医院就在你右手边。
xiàng zuǒ zhuǎn, yīyuàn jiù zài nǐ yòushǒubiān
Turn left and the hospital is on your right. (neutral)
队伍慢慢向前移动。
duìwu mànman xiàng qián yídòng
The line slowly moved forward. (neutral, slightly formal register)
Notice that 向前看 has drifted beyond the physical: it means both "look ahead" and, figuratively, "think about the future." That figurative reach is exactly what 往 lacks — you would not say 往前看 for "look to the future." This abstract capacity is the heart of 向.
A person as the target — or the source
This is where 向 earns its place. Put a person after 向 and the action is aimed at that person: 向他道歉 (apologize to him), 向我招手 (wave at me). The twist for English speakers is that with certain verbs — 学习 (learn), 借 (borrow), 请教 (consult), 打听 (inquire) — the person is not the destination of the action but its source.
我们都应该向她学习。
wǒmen dōu yīnggāi xiàng tā xuéxí
We should all learn from her. (neutral)
有不懂的就向老师请教。
yǒu bù dǒng de jiù xiàng lǎoshī qǐngjiào
If there's something you don't understand, go ask the teacher. (neutral)
他从来不向别人借钱。
tā cónglái bú xiàng biéren jiè qián
He never borrows money from anyone. (informal)
她向我招了招手，我却没认出她。
tā xiàng wǒ zhāo le zhāo shǒu, wǒ què méi rèn chū tā
She waved at me, but I didn't recognize her. (informal)
Why does 向他学习 mean "learn from him" when 向 literally points toward? Because the logic is directional effort, not physical transfer: you turn your attention and effort toward the model, and knowledge flows back along that line. Once you see 向 as "orient yourself toward X and act," the source uses (learn from, borrow from, inquire of) stop looking like exceptions — the arrow still points at the person; only the thing that travels reverses.
The formal register: 向…表示 / 问好 / 道歉
A cluster of fixed, elevated frames live on 向: 向…表示感谢/祝贺/欢迎 (express thanks / congratulations / welcome to…), 向…问好 (send regards to…), 向…致敬 (pay tribute to…). These belong to speeches, letters, and announcements, and they are the reason 向 is tagged (formal) more often than 往.
请代我向你父母问好。
qǐng dài wǒ xiàng nǐ fùmǔ wènhǎo
Please give my regards to your parents. (neutral–polite)
我谨代表公司向各位来宾表示欢迎。
wǒ jǐn dàibiǎo gōngsī xiàng gèwèi láibīn biǎoshì huānyíng
On behalf of the company, I extend a welcome to all our guests. (formal)
我想当面向你道个歉。
wǒ xiǎng dāngmiàn xiàng nǐ dào ge qiàn
I'd like to apologize to you in person. (neutral)
向 vs 往 vs 跟 / 对
Three neighbours crowd around 向. Keep them apart by what follows and how physical the action is:
| Coverb | Typical object | Sense | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 往 (wǎng) | place / direction | physical movement toward | 往前走 (walk forward) |
| 向 (xiàng) | direction OR person | abstract aim, personal target/source (formal) | 向他学习 (learn from him) |
| 跟 (gēn) | person | talk / interact with | 跟他说 (talk with him) |
| 对 (duì) | person | direct an attitude at | 对他好 (be good to him) |
The full three-way sort of 往 / 向 / 朝 is drilled on the choosing page. The short version: use 往 for real movement, 向 for figurative aim or a person you learn from / address formally, and reach for 跟 or 对 when you just mean "talk to" or "be nice to" someone in ordinary conversation.
Common Mistakes
1. Using 往 for a personal target. 往 wants a place or direction, not a person you learn from. "Learn from him" is 向他学习, never 往他学习.
❌ 我们要往他学习。
Incorrect — 往 takes a direction/place, not a person; use 向他学习.
✅ 我们要向他学习。
wǒmen yào xiàng tā xuéxí
We should learn from him. — 向 takes the person as target/source.
2. Using 向 for everyday 'tell / talk to'. 向你说 sounds stiff and formal; in conversation, "tell you something" is 跟你说 or 对你说.
❌ 我想向你说个事儿。
Stilted — for casual 'tell you something' use 跟你说, not 向你说.
✅ 我想跟你说个事儿。
wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ shuō ge shìr
I want to tell you something. (informal) — 跟 for everyday talking-to.
3. Sending 向 straight to a destination. 向 needs a direction word or a person plus a verb — it can't head to a bare place the way 往 or 去 can.
❌ 我们向火车站。
Incorrect — a destination place needs 往…走 or 去; 向 needs a direction or person.
✅ 我们往火车站走。
wǒmen wǎng huǒchēzhàn zǒu
We're heading to the train station. — 往 + place + 走.
Key Takeaways
- 向 aims an action at a target: a direction (向前, 向左) or, distinctively, a person (向他道歉, 向我招手).
- With 学习 / 借 / 请教 / 打听, the person after 向 is the source — 向他学习 = "learn from him," even though 向 points "toward."
- 向 is more abstract and formal than 往: 向前看 can mean "look to the future," and the 向…表示 / 问好 / 致敬 frames are speech-and-letter register.
- For a place you move to, use 往; for casual "talk to / be good to," use 跟 / 对; save 向 for figurative aim, learning from someone, and formal address.
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- 往 (wǎng): Toward (Direction of Motion)HSK 2 — 往 (wǎng) sets the heading of a movement — 往前走 'walk forward', 往左拐 'turn left', 往北开 'drive north'. It points the way without asserting arrival (that's 到), and often takes a bare direction word.
- 朝 (cháo): Facing / TowardHSK 3 — 朝 (cháo) marks which way something is turned or aimed: 窗户朝南 (the window faces south), 朝我笑 (smile at me), 朝那个方向走 (walk toward that direction). It is the facing-and-orientation coverb, emphasizing the direction something points rather than the journey it makes.
- 跟 vs 对 vs 向: Talking 'To' SomeoneHSK 3 — Three coverbs all translate as English 'to (someone)', but each frames the relationship differently: 跟 (gēn) is a two-way, mutual exchange (跟他商量 'discuss with him'); 对 (duì) is a one-way attitude or utterance aimed at someone (对他说 'say to him', 对我好 'be good to me'); 向 (xiàng) is a directed, more formal request or source (向他学习 'learn from him', 向他借钱 'borrow from him').
- 往 vs 向 vs 朝: Which 'Toward'?HSK 3 — Three coverbs all translate as 'toward', and English hides the difference: 往 (wǎng) is physical movement toward a place, 朝 (cháo) is facing and orientation, 向 (xiàng) is an abstract aim or a person as target — often formal. This page sorts them, with the overlap zones.