Level 5 · Lesson 3

对我说，向前走
Speaking to me, walking forward

她对我说话，也向我招手。

对 points an action or an attitude at a person; 向 points a movement in a direction.

听 · Listen

在路上
 安娜 —  李明，你昨天跟谁见面了？ 
Li Ming, who did you meet yesterday?  
 李明 —  我跟王老师见面了。她对我说，我的汉语很好。 
I met Teacher Wang. She said to me that my Chinese is good.  
 安娜 —  你对她说什么了？ 
What did you say to her?  
 李明 —  我没说话。我对她笑了，也点了点头。 
I didn't say anything. I smiled at her and gave a nod.  
 安娜 —  她去哪儿了？ 
Where did she go?  
 李明 —  她向前走，去图书馆了。我向教室走。 
She walked on ahead, off to the library. I headed for the classroom.  
 安娜 —  她也向你招手了吗？ 
Did she wave to you as well?  
 李明 —  招手了。她向我招手，我也向她招手。 
She did. She waved to me, and I waved back to her.  

讲解 · Explanation

她对我说，我的汉语很好。

对 marks the person your words or your feelings are aimed at. Like 跟 and 从, it stands before the verb: she — to me — said. Chinese does not attach the listener to the end of 说. The same 对 carries an attitude rather than words: 他对我很好 means 'he is good to me', and 老师对学生很好 'the teacher is kind to the students'.

她向前走。

向 marks a direction of movement, not a listener. 向前走 'walk forward', 向后走 'walk backward', 向学校走 'head for the school'. With a gesture that travels toward someone — waving, bowing — 向 is the natural choice: 向我招手. So 对 for words and attitudes, 向 for movement; with 招手 you will hear both, because a wave is a little of each.

我对她笑了，也点了点头。

点头 and 招手 are verb-plus-object words, like 见面 and 睡觉: they already carry their own object (头 'head', 手 'hand'), so the person goes in front with 对 or 向. They also split down the middle when something comes between the two halves — 点了点头 is the soft, quick nod, 招了招手 the small wave. Read 点 here as the verb 'to tap, to nod', a different word from the 点 of 八点.

生词 · Vocabulary

词	Meaning	注 · Note
对	to, toward (a person addressed)	对我说, 对他很好
向	toward, in the direction of	向前走, 向我招手
笑	to smile, to laugh	对她笑
点头	to nod	splits: 点了点头
招手	to wave a hand	splits: 招了招手

练习 · Practice

王老师 ______ 我说，明天上课。 Which word fits: 'Teacher Wang said to me that there is class tomorrow'?

他 ______ 前走。 Which word fits: 'He walks forward'?

我很高兴，______ 她笑了。 Fill in the word that aims the smile at her.

排一排。 Arrange the words: 'She waves to me.'

对、向、笑、点头、招手 Match each word to its meaning.

用一用 · Use it

今天谁对你笑了？谁向你招手了？

Answer both aloud in full sentences: 我的邻居对我笑了 (wǒ de línjū duì wǒ xiào le), 老师向我招手了 (lǎoshī xiàng wǒ zhāoshǒu le). Then narrate a small street scene in three sentences — someone speaks to you, you nod, they walk on ahead: 他对我说话，我点了点头，他向前走了。Say it twice, and listen for 对 and 向 both landing before the verb.