Directions and asking the way

The six basic directions at a glance

ShortcutThe hard part is not asking, it is understanding the answer. First learn to recognise the six directions and the phrases used in directions by ear.

Put yourself in the middle of the map, facing forward. German names directions from that position, and they are all adverbs — no endings, no articles.

One rule: movement means nach

English handles this with a small word: something is on the right, but you turn to the right. German makes the same distinction, and the small word is nach — used only when there is movement.

Honesty note: with the verb abbiegen (to turn) Germans mostly leave out nach — Biegen Sie rechts ab. That is the standard form in traffic. nach rechts abbiegen is not wrong, just heard less often. With other movement verbs (gehen · fahren) nach stays.

The compass: all four are der

All four compass points are masculine: der Norden · der Süden · der Osten · der Westen. No need to memorise the article — there are no exceptions.

You ask: four phrases are enough

Don’t try to build sentences; use the phrase as it is. All four are polite and work everywhere:

• Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof? — Excuse me, where is the train station?
• Entschuldigung, wie komme ich zum Marktplatz? — How do I get to the market square?
• Gibt es hier in der Nähe eine Apotheke? — Is there a pharmacy near here?
• Ist es weit von hier? — Is it far from here?

If you could not catch the answer, one sentence saves you: Können Sie mir das bitte auf der Karte zeigen? — “Could you show me on the map?” Hold out your phone and you are done.

They answer: the twelve sentences you will hear

Answers to “how do I get there?” all come from the same pool. If you recognise this table, you don’t need to understand the whole answer — catching three words is enough.

Two traps

What nobody tells you: whose right?

If you say rechts alone, everyone understands their own right. To say whose right it is, you add von — and what follows is Dativ.

In formal directions and on signs you will see the adjective form instead: auf der rechten Seite — “on the right-hand side”. Here rechten is an adjective and has taken an ending.

In short: rechts = my right · rechts von X = X’s right · auf der rechten Seite = the right-hand side. These are exactly the three that get mixed up in directions.

What to do this week

Directions are a listening skill; they don’t stick from reading. For one week, do this once a day:

• Look at a route from your home on a map and describe it out loud in German: geradeaus, dann an der Ecke links…
• Describe the room you are in: Der Tisch ist rechts von mir, das Fenster ist vorne.
• Place a German city with the compass: Hamburg liegt im Norden, München im Süden.
• Last step: say the phrase out loud as if asking someone — Entschuldigung, wie komme ich zum Bahnhof?

The goal is not fluent answers; it is catching three words while the other person gives directions. The day you catch them, this topic is done.