*The Chinese section of this article is the transcript of the podcast episode 《 中国语言与文化中的方位》. For the full experience, please visit the episode in English and in Chinese.
来自李荣浩的《流行歌曲》中唱到：“很常见的各奔东西，后来就很少联系。” 为什么各奔东西之后就很少联系了呢？这里的东和西到底是哪里？
This is the clip of Popular Songs from Chinese singer Li Ronghao. It says: “It’s so common for people to 各奔东西，（literally meaning go east and westseparately，） and then rarely keep in touch.” But why do they go “east” and “west” instead of south and north? And what does this expression mean exactly?
大家好，我是小月，欢迎来到今天的节目。今天我们要聊一聊：方位词背后的文化含义和有趣的中文表达。
Hello everyone, Xiaoyue’s here. Welcome to today’s episode! Today, we’re going to explore the cultural meanings behind Chinese direction words.
先来盘点一下，我们熟知的方位词都有哪些？东、西、南、北、上、下、左、右。这些词除了能描述一个地方在哪里，还能表达什么呢？
First, let’s take a look at the direction words we already know: east,west, south, north, up, down, left, and right. Apart from telling us the location, what else can these
words express?
我们先从东和西开始。
Let’s start with east and west.
在中国文化中，东经常和主人联系在一起，因为在传统的待客习惯中，东边的座位常常是主人的。我们说，东道主，就是招待客人的主人，或者负责接待的一方。如果一场国际比赛在中国举行，我们就可以说中国是这场比赛的东道主。而做东就更简单了，意思是请客、买单。比如，朋友一起吃饭，你可以说：“今天我做东，大家想吃什么随便点！”还有我们熟悉的房东，即房子的主人，就是把房子出租给别人的人（顺便说，租房子的人叫做“房客”，也就是“房子的客人”）。
In Chinese culture, east is often associated with the host. This is because, in traditional Chinese hospitality, the seat on the east side was often reserved for the host. For example, the word 东道主 itself refers to the host. If an international tournament is held in China, we can say that 中国是东道主（China is the host）. Another expression is 做东, lit.“to do the east”, which means to treat others for a meal. For example, when having dinner with friends, you can say: “今天我做东，大家想吃什么随便点！” (“It’s my treat today. Order whatever youlike!”) We also have the word 房东,lit. “the house east”, so the landlord, the tenant, on the other hand, is called 房客, literally “the house guest”.
那么，西又有什么特别的意思呢？你可能知道中国有一本很有名的书，叫《西游记》，讲的是一个和尚和他的徒弟们去印度取经的故事。因为印度在中国的西边，又和佛教有关，所以就有了“西方极乐世界”的说法。如果一个人去世了，人们会说他“归西”或者“上西天”了，意思就是他去了西方极乐世界。
So, what about 西 the west? You may know a famous Chinese novel called Journey to the West (《西游记》). It tells the story of a Buddhist monk and his disciples travelling to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures. Since India is west of China and is closely connected with Buddhism, the idea of the 西方极乐世界, or the Western Pure Land, also became part of Chinese culture. Now when someone passes away, people sometimes say that they have 归西 or 上西天, meaning that they have gone or returned to the Western Paradise.
东和西放在一起也有很多有趣的表达。你肯定已经知道“东西”这个词了，这个词的来源是：唐朝时，东市和西市是非常有名的市场，人们在那里可以买到各种商品，慢慢地，就产生了“东西”这个词。另外，还有一些固定用法，比如前面歌词中提到的“各奔东西”，就是指好朋友分开了，各自走自己的路。比如，毕业以后，大家去了不同的城市工作和生活，也就各奔东西了。还有东张西望，意思是到处看，注意力不集中。比如：“上课的时候不要东张西望，好好听老师讲课。” 这些词里的东和西虽然没有特殊的含义，但是因为是固定用法，所以我们不能说“各奔南北”、“南张北望”等等。
When east and west are put together, they create many interesting expressions as well. You probably already know the word 东西, which means things or objects. One popular explanation of its origin connects it with the East Market and West Market in the Tang Dynasty. These were famous markets where people could buy all kinds of goods. Over time, the word “东西” came to mean things in general. There are also several fixed expressions. For example, 各奔东西, which appeared in the song we heard earlier, means that people go their separate ways. For instance, after graduation, everyone moves to a different city for work and life, so 他们各奔东西了.Another expression is 东张西望,which means to look around in different directions, often because you are distracted. For example: “上课的时候不要东张西望，好好听老师讲课。” “Don’t look around during class. Pay attention to the teacher.” In these expressions, east and west don’t have special meanings on their own. They are simply part of fixed expressions, so we cannot change them to south or north.
不过别着急，接下来我们就来说南和北。
But don’t worry! Let’s move on to south and north now.
这两个词通常和社会地位、建筑习惯有一定的联系。比如，古代很多重要建筑会讲究坐北朝南，大门开在南边，而在大门附近常常设一道影壁，让外面的人不能直接看到院子里。有一个表达叫“不撞南墙不回头”，里面的“南墙”就是这道影壁。这个表达用来形容一个人坚持错误的做法，不听别人的劝告，直到遇到了挫折、没办法了才肯放弃。我们可以说：“大家都劝他不要投资这个项目，他就是不听，非要撞了南墙才肯回头。”
These two are often connected with social status and traditional building styles. For example, many important buildings in ancient China were built facing south, with their backs to the north. The main entrance was often on the south side, and a screen wall was commonly placed near the entrance to block the view from outside. There is an expression called 不撞南墙不回头, which literally means“not turning back until you hit the south wall.” The “south wall” here is this traditional screen wall. This expression describes someone who is stubborn and refuses to listen to advice, well, not until they finally hit a dead end. We can say: “大家都劝他不要投资这个项目，他就是不听，非要撞了南墙才肯回头。” “Everyone told him not to invest in thisproject, but he wouldn’t listen. He just had to learn the hard way.”
那么，北呢？有一个词叫作败北，这个词的意思就是失败了，比如：“这次比赛，我们队遗憾败北。”那么，为什么是败北不是败南呢？其实这里的“北”并不是“北方”这个方向，而是“后背”的意思，指的是打了败仗之后转身逃跑，向敌人露出了后背。
What about north then? There is a word called 败北, which means to be defeated. You can say: “这次比赛，我们队遗憾败北。” “Unfortunately, our team lost this competition.” But why do we say “败北” instead of “败南”? Actually “北” here does not refer to the direction north, it’s actually your back 背. After losing a battle, soldiers would turn around and run away, showing their backs to the enemy. That is why “败北”came to mean being defeated.
当然还有一些南和北在一起的表达。比如，南辕北辙，意思是想去南方，车却朝北走，比喻一个人的行动和目标完全相反。比如说：“你想要减肥，却一直在吃零食，这不是南辕北辙吗？” 还有走南闯北，形容一个人去过很多地方，经历很丰富。“他年轻的时候走南闯北，见过很多世面。”
Of course, there are also expressions that combine south and north. For example, 南辕北辙, wanting to go south but travelling north instead. It describes a situation where
someone's actions are completely opposite to their goals. For example: “你想要减肥，却一直在吃零食，这不是南辕北辙吗？” “You want to lose weight, but you keep eating snacks. Aren’t your actions going in the opposite direction?” Another expression is 走南闯北, which describes someone who has travelled to many places and had a lot of experiences. “他年轻的时候走南闯北，见过很多世面。” “He travelled all over the place when he was young and saw a lot of the world.”
我们再来看上和下。这两个词经常出现在和工作有关的表达中。
Next, up and down. These two often appear in expressions related to work.
比如，有一个近年来很流行的词叫作上岸。它原本的意思是从水里来到岸上，但现在经常用来表示考试成功，或者终于找到了一份稳定的工作。比如，有人准备了好几年的公务员考试，终于考上了，就可以说：“她终于成功上岸了！”
For example, there is a popular modern expression called 上岸. It originally means coming out of the water and reaching the shore. But today, it is often used to describe
passing an important exam or finally getting a stable job. For example, if someone has spent several years preparing for the civil service exam and finally passes, you can say: “她终于成功上岸了！”“She finally made it!”
还有一个很有时代特点的词叫作下海。以前，人们通常把比较稳定的工作看作理想的选择。而在改革开放以后，有些人放弃原来的工作，创业经商，这种选择就被称为“下海”。我们可以说：“他以前在政府部门工作，后来辞职下海，自己开了一家公司。”当然，还有一个不那么让人开心的词叫作下岗，特别是在过去的国企改革时期我们会经常听到，指的是员工丢掉了原来的铁饭碗，被解雇了。另一个有趣的词是下马威，意思是一开始就给别人施加压力，让对方不敢轻视自己。比如：“新老板第一天上班就给大家来了个下马威。”
Another expression with a strong connection to a particular period in Chinese history is 下海. In the past, people generally considered stable jobs to be the ideal choice. But after China’s reform and opening-up, some people left their previous jobs to start their own business. This is what 下海 (“go-down-into-the-sea”) means. You can say: “他以前在政府部门工作，后来辞职下海，自己开了一家公司。” “He used to work for a government department,but later he left his job to start his own business.” Another expression, which
does not sound so positive, is 下岗, “off the position”. It was connected with the reform of state-owned companies, in which employees lost their jobs and the security that came with them. Another interesting expression is 下马威,lit.“off horse prestige”. It means putting pressure on someone right from the beginning to show that you should not be taken lightly. For example: “新老板第一天上班就给大家来了个下马威。” “The new boss gave everyone a hard time on his very first day.”
上和下放在一起，也能组成一些很有意思的表达。七上八下，形容一个人非常紧张，不知道接下来会发生什么。你可以说：“考试成绩还没出来，我心里七上八下的。”还有上上下下，也可以用来指一个组织或群体中各个层级的所有人。“这件事需要公司上上下下的共同努力。”
When up and down are put together, they can also form some interesting expressions. For example, 七上八下,lit“seven-up-eight-down” means to feel very nervous or worried because you don’t know what is going to happen. For example: “考试成绩还没出来，我心里七上八下的。” “The exam results aren’t out yet, and I’m feeling really nervous.” Another expression is 上上下下, lit.”up-up-down-down”, which can refer to everyone at different levels of an organization. You can say: “这件事需要公司上上下下共同努力。” “Everyone in the company, from top to bottom, needs to work together on this.”
最后，我们来看看左和右。
Finally, let’s have a look at left and right.
在中国传统文化中，左和右常常和社会地位有关。虽然不同历史时期的观念和习惯并不完全一样，但很多和左右相关的词还是能反映出这一现象。
In Chinese traditions, left and right were often connected with social status.
有一个词叫作旁门左道，旁边的门，左边的路，用来形容不正规的办法或者途径，通常带有负面的意思。你可以说：“想要赚钱，还是要踏踏实实地工作，不要总想着旁门左道。” 但是，有时候左也代表尊贵的意思。我们有一个词叫虚左以待，就是说，把左边的座位空出来，等待优秀的人来任职。还有一个关于右的词叫无出其右，字面意思是没有一个人能够坐在比他还要靠右的地方，也就是说这个人非常优秀，没有人比得上他。“他是机器人专家，这个领域无出其右。”
For example, there is an expression called 旁门左道. Literally, it means a side door and a left-hand path. It describes an improper way of doing something and usually has a negative meaning. You may say: “想要赚钱，还是要踏踏实实地工作，不要总想着旁门左道。” “If you want to make money, work hard instead of looking for dishonest shortcuts.” However, left could also represent respect or a high position in certain historical periods. For example, 虚左以待 means leaving the seat on the left empty while waiting for a talented person to take that position. Another expression is 无出其右. Literally, it means that nobody can be placed further to the right than this certain person. In other words, this person is so good that nobody can match him. For example: “他是机器人专家，这个领域无出其右。” “He is an expert in robotics, and nobodyin this field can match him.”
最后，我们再来看左右组合在一起的表达。最常见的就是左右为难，意思是两边都不好选择，不知道怎么办。比如：“唉一个是朋友，一个是家人，我夹在中间，左右为难。”还有一个表达叫作左右逢源，形容一个人能够很好地处理不同的人和事情。比如：“他很会处理人际关系，在工作中总是左右逢源。”
Finally, let’s look at expressions that combine left and right. One of the most common is 左右为难, which means being unable to make a choice because both options are difficult.
For example: “一个是朋友，一个是家人，我夹在中间，左右为难。” “One is my friend and the other is my family. I’m caught in the middle and don’t know what to do.” Another expression is 左右逢源,which describes someone who is good at dealing with different people. For example: “他很会处理人际关系，在工作中总是左右逢源。” “He is very good at dealing with people and always manages to get along well with everyone at work.”
好了，今天我们认识了东西南北、上下左右这几组方向词，也学习了很多有趣的中文表达。那么，在你的语言里，有没有类似的表达呢？请留言告诉我吧。感谢收听，我们下期再见！
Good, so today we’ve explored the cultural meaning and expressions related to east, west, south, north, up, down, left, and right. Now it’s your turn, are there similar expressions in your language? Leave a comment and tell me about them! Thanks for listening and see you next time!
Wordlist
东道主 dōngdàozhǔ host; hosting party
做东 zuòdōng to treat someone; to pay for a meal
房东 fángdōng landlord
归西 guīxī to pass away
上西天 shàng xītiān To die
东西 dōngxi thing; object
各奔东西 gè bēn dōng xī to go separate ways
东张西望 dōng zhāng xī wàng to look around; to look in all directions
不撞南墙不回头 bù zhuàng nán qiáng bù huí tóu to refuse to give up until one hit a dead end
败北 bài běi to be defeated
南辕北辙 nán yuán běi zhé to act in a way that contradicts one's goal
走南闯北 zǒu nán chuǎng běi to see the world
上岸 shàng àn to pass an important exam or to secure a stable job
下海 xià hǎi to quit one’s job and start a business
下岗 xià gǎng to be laid off (from a state-owned company)
下马威 xià mǎ wēi to give someone a show of force; to establish authority
七上八下 qī shàng bā xià to feel very nervous; to feel unsettled
上上下下 shàng shàng xià xià people at all levels; everyone in an organization
旁门左道 páng mén zuǒ dào unorthodox methods; crooked ways
虚左以待 xū zuǒ yǐ dài to reserve a place for someone respected or talented
无出其右 wú chū qí yòu to be second to none; to be unsurpassed
左右为难 zuǒ yòu wéi nán to be caught in a dilemma
左右逢源 zuǒ yòu féng yuán to handle situations skillfully; to get along well with everyone
