Learn Hardcore Chinese: nǐ wǎng zuǒbian zǒu, chāoshì jiù zài yínháng yòubian. - Walk to the left, and the supermarket is right next to the bank on the right.

Without 往, 你左边走 sounds wrong or at least very unnatural. Chinese needs something to show that 左边 is the direction of the movement; 往 (or 向) does that job.

Natural options are:

你往左边走。
你往左走。
往左边走。 (imperative, dropping 你)

Can we use 向 instead of 往 here? What’s the difference between 往 and 向?

Yes, you can say:

你向左边走。

向 (xiàng) and 往 (wǎng) both mean “toward,” and in many everyday directional phrases they are interchangeable. Here is the nuance:

往 is more common in colloquial, everyday directions:
- 往前走 / 往左拐 / 往东开 (drive east)
向 can sound slightly more formal or written, and is also used in abstract senses:
- 向大家道歉 (apologize to everyone)
- 向老师请教 (consult the teacher)

In simple spoken directions (like giving street directions), 往 is usually the first choice, but 向 here would still be correct.

What’s the difference between 左 and 左边? Could we say 你往左走 instead of 你往左边走?

Both sentences are correct:

你往左边走。
你往左走。

Differences:

左 (zuǒ) = “left” (more like an adjective or bare direction)
左边 (zuǒbian) = “the left side”

In practice:

After directional prepositions like 往 / 向 / 朝, you can use either:
- 往左走
- 往左边走

往左走 is slightly shorter and very common in speech. 往左边走 sounds a bit more explicit (“toward the left side”), but the meaning is essentially the same here.

How is 左边 different from 左面 or 左边儿? Are they interchangeable?

They’re very close in meaning:

左边 (zuǒbian) = the left side
左面 (zuǒmiàn) = the left side / left face
左边儿 (zuǒbiānr) = same as 左边 but with the Beijing-style -r sound

Usage:

左边 is the safest, most neutral choice and is widely used everywhere.
左面 appears too, but in many regions people say 边 more than 面 for directions.
左边儿 is common in northern speech (especially Beijing), but might sound regional elsewhere.

In this sentence you could say:

你往左边走。
你往左面走。
你往左边儿走。

All are understandable; 左边 is the most standard.

Why is 走 used instead of 去? What’s the difference between 走 and 去 here?

Key meanings:

走 (zǒu) = to walk; to move on foot; (in other contexts) to leave
去 (qù) = to go (to some place), direction away from the speaker

For giving simple walking directions, Chinese usually uses 走 with a direction word:

往前走 (walk forward)
往左走 (walk left)
往右走 (walk right)

Saying 你往左去 is not natural in this context. 去 often takes a destination:

去超市
去银行
去学校

So for “Walk to the left,” Chinese prefers 往左(边)走, not 往左去.

What is the function of 就 in 超市就在银行右边? Can we just say 超市在银行右边?

Both are grammatical:

超市在银行右边。 – “The supermarket is on the right side of the bank.”
超市就在银行右边。 – “The supermarket is right on the right side of the bank.”

就 (jiù) here adds emphasis and a sense of exactness / closeness:

It can feel like “just / exactly / right” in English.
It often suggests that the place is very close or easy to find relative to the reference point.

Without 就, it’s a neutral statement of location. With 就, it feels more like:

“The supermarket is right next to the bank on the right side.”
“It’s just on the bank’s right side, very close.”

Why is the word order 超市就在银行右边 and not something like 超市在右边银行?

The pattern here is:

[Thing] + 在 + [reference place] + [position word]

So:

超市 (thing)
在 (is located at)
银行右边 (the right side of the bank)

Literally: “The supermarket is at the bank’s right side.”

If you say 右边银行, that means “the bank on the right” (a bank which is located on the right side of something else), not “the right side of the bank.” So:

银行右边 = the right side of the bank
右边的银行 = the bank that is on the right
右边银行 (without 的) is a compressed version of 右边的银行.

So to express “the right side of the bank”, Chinese says 银行右边 (or 银行的右边), not 右边银行.

Should it be 银行的右边 instead of 银行右边? When do we need 的?

Both 银行右边 and 银行的右边 are acceptable:

银行右边 – very common in speech
银行的右边 – a bit more explicit and slightly more formal/careful

In Chinese, 的 is often omitted when:

The first word is a simple noun (like 银行, 家, 学校), and
The second word is a location word like 上/下/里/外/前面/后面/旁边/左边/右边.

So you’ll frequently hear:

门口右边
学校后面
银行附近

instead of always using 的. With locations and very short combinations, omitting 的 is natural.

Could we say 银行右边有一个超市 instead of 超市就在银行右边? What’s the difference?

Yes, both are natural, but the sentence structure and focus change:

超市就在银行右边。
- Pattern: [Thing] 在 [Place]
- Focus: The supermarket is the topic; you’re telling where it is.
银行右边有一个超市。
- Pattern: [Place] 有 [Thing] (“There is … at …”)
- Focus: The area to the right of the bank is the topic; you’re saying what is there.

In English:

超市就在银行右边。 ≈ “The supermarket is right on the bank’s right side.”
银行右边有一个超市。 ≈ “There is a supermarket to the right of the bank.”

Both could be used in directions; choice depends on what you want to highlight first: the supermarket or the location.

Why don’t we use 是 in 超市就在银行右边? Why not 超市就是在银行右边?

In location sentences, 在 itself functions like the main verb “to be located at”. The pattern is:

A 在 B – “A is at/in/on B.”

So:

超市在银行右边。 = “The supermarket is on the bank’s right side.”

Because 在 already acts as the main verb, you normally don’t add 是 in front:

❌ 超市是在银行右边。 (possible in some special emphasis contexts, but not the basic pattern)
✅ 超市在银行右边。
✅ 超市就在银行右边。 (就 is an adverb modifying 在.)

就是在 can appear in some emphatic sentences, but in simple directions like this, the most natural form is simply:

超市就在银行右边。

Why is there no measure word like 一个 before 超市 or 银行? Could we say 一个超市 or 那个银行?

By default, when you name a place in directions and both speaker and listener know it from context, Chinese often uses the bare noun:

去超市
在银行旁边
从学校往前走

In this sentence, it’s assumed there is a specific supermarket and a specific bank the speaker has in mind, so:

超市就在银行右边。

is fine without measure words.

You can add them when you need to be specific or contrastive:

银行右边有一个超市。 – There is a supermarket to the right of the bank.
超市就在那个银行的右边。 – The supermarket is right on the right side of that bank.

So measure words are optional here because the reference is already clear and unique in context.

Why is 你 included? Could we just say 往左边走，超市就在银行右边?

Yes, you can drop 你:

往左边走，超市就在银行右边。

In Chinese, imperatives (commands/suggestions) often omit the subject, especially when it’s obviously “you” from context. Both are natural:

你往左边走，超市就在银行右边。 – a bit more explicit, addressing “you.”
往左边走，超市就在银行右边。 – sounds like a straightforward instruction or direction announcement.

Dropping 你 is common in signs, instructions, and casual spoken directions.