wǎng xī zǒu.

往 is a preposition here. It means toward / in the direction of.

So the structure is:

往 + direction + verb

In this sentence:

• 往西 = toward the west / westward
• 走 = go, walk

So 往西走 literally means walk/go toward the west.

In Mandarin, direction phrases like this usually come before the main verb.

The pattern is:

往 + place/direction + verb

So:

• 往西走 = go west
• 往前看 = look forward
• 往北开 = drive north

English often puts the direction after the verb (go west), but Chinese commonly puts it before the verb in this kind of structure.

It can suggest either one, depending on context.

In basic vocabulary, 走 often means to walk. But in directional instructions, it can also be understood more generally as go or head.

So 往西走 could mean:

• walk west
• go west
• head west

If the context is giving directions on foot, walk west is a natural translation. If the context is broader, go west may be better.

Yes. Chinese often leaves out the subject when it is already understood from context.

So 往西走 by itself can mean:

• Go west.
• Walk west.
• Head west.

The subject might be:

• you in an instruction
• we in a suggestion
• he/she/they if the context already makes it clear

Chinese is very comfortable omitting things that are obvious from the situation.

Yes. 往, 向, and 朝 can all be used to show direction, and in many cases they are similar.

For example:

• 往西走
• 向西走
• 朝西走

All can mean go/walk west.

That said:

• 往 often feels very natural in movement expressions
• 向 is also very common and slightly broader in use
• 朝 can also mean facing toward in some contexts

For a beginner, 往西走 is a very standard and useful pattern.

Because this is already a complete and natural directional expression.

Chinese does not need extra words here. The sentence is simply:

• 往西 = toward the west
• 走 = go/walk

Together, that is enough to form a clear instruction or description.

You could add more words if you want, for example:

• 一直往西走。 = Keep going west.
• 往西走一点。 = Go a little farther west.
• 往西走三百米。 = Go west for 300 meters.

But the short form 往西走 is perfectly complete.

The pinyin is:

• 往 = wǎng
• 西 = xī
• 走 = zǒu

Tones:

• wǎng = 3rd tone
• xī = 1st tone
• zǒu = 3rd tone

A natural rhythm is:

wǎng xī zǒu

A few pronunciation notes:

• wǎng ends with -ng, so let the sound finish in the back of the mouth.
• xī uses the x sound, which is softer than English sh.
• zǒu starts with z, like ds in reads without the vowel before it.

Since the first and third syllables are both 3rd tone, in connected speech the first one may sound a little lighter than when pronounced alone.

西 means west, while 西边 means the western side / the west side.

In many cases both can work, but they are used a little differently:

• 往西走 = go west
• 往西边走 = go toward the west side

西 is simpler and very common in direction expressions.
西边 can sound a little more concrete, like talking about one side of an area.

Yes, very naturally.

It can function as an instruction such as:

• 往西走！ = Go west!
• 先往西走。 = First, go west.
• 从这里往西走。 = From here, go west.

Chinese often uses short verb phrases like this as commands, especially in giving directions.

No, you do not need 去 here.

往西走 is already the normal way to say it.

Why?

• 走 already expresses the movement
• 往西 already gives the direction

Adding 去 would usually be unnecessary here, and 往西去走 is not the normal pattern.

You might see 往西去 in some contexts, which can mean go west, but 往西走 is especially natural when talking about movement along a route or giving directions.

It is basically neutral and very common.

It works well in:

• giving directions
• describing movement
• simple spoken conversation
• basic written instructions

It is neither especially formal nor especially slangy. That makes it a very useful beginner sentence pattern.