Asking for Directions

This unit covers how to ask for and give directions in Bengali. You will learn question words like kothay, kemon kore, and kon dike, direction words such as dane, bame, shoja, and ghurte, locative postpositions (-e, -te, -theke), and distance expressions. These skills are essential for navigation in Bengali-speaking cities and regions.

Basic Sentences

Bengali (romanized)	English
Embassy kothay?	Where is the embassy?
Daktar-er chamber kemon kore jabo?	How do I get to the doctor’s chamber?
Ekhane theke koto dur?	How far is it from here?
Shoja jaaben, tarpor dane ghurben.	Go straight, then turn right.
Bame ekta boro building achhe.	There is a big building on the left.
Bus stop kothay achhe?	Where is the bus stop?
Eta theke panch minute hote pare.	It may take five minutes from here.
Kon dike jaaben?	Which direction will you go?
Hospital-er dike jaaben.	Go toward the hospital.
Rasta-te shoja cholun.	Walk straight on the road.

Key Vocabulary

Bengali	English
kothay	where
kemon kore	how (in what way)
kon dike	which direction
dane	right
bame	left
shoja	straight
ghurte	to turn
ghurben	you will turn
jaaben	you will go
cholun	walk (imperative)
rasta	road
building	building
bus stop	bus stop
dur	far, distance
koto dur	how far
minute	minute
hote pare	may take
ekhane	here
theke	from
dike	toward, direction

Grammar Notes

Question Words (kothay, kemon kore, kon dike)

Kothay means “where”: Embassy kothay? (Where is the embassy?). Kemon kore means “how” (in what manner): Kemon kore jabo? (How do I go?). Kon dike means “which direction”: Kon dike jaaben? (Which way will you go?). Koto dur means “how far”: Koto dur? (How far?).

Direction Words (dane, bame, shoja, ghurte)

Dane (right), bame (left), shoja (straight). Ghurte is the infinitive “to turn”; ghurben is “you will turn.” Shoja jaaben (Go straight), dane ghurben (Turn right), bame ghurben (Turn left). Cholun is the formal imperative for “walk.”

Locative Postpositions (-e, -te, -theke)

-e and -te mark location: rasta-te (on the road), Dhaka-te (in Dhaka), ghar-e (at home). -theke means “from”: ekhane theke (from here), Dhaka theke (from Dhaka). -er dike means “toward”: hospital-er dike (toward the hospital), dane-r dike (toward the right).

Distance Expressions (koto dur?)

Koto dur? (How far?). Ekhane theke koto dur? (How far from here?). Panch minute (five minutes), dush minute (ten minutes). Hote pare expresses possibility: Panch minute hote pare (It may take five minutes). Kachhe means “near”; dur means “far.”

Drills

Drill 1: Where Questions

Bengali	English
Embassy kothay?	Where is the embassy?
Bus stop kothay achhe?	Where is the bus stop?
Hospital kothay?	Where is the hospital?
Gari kothay pabo?	Where will I find a car?

Drill 2: Direction Instructions

Bengali	English
Shoja jaaben.	Go straight.
Dane ghurben.	Turn right.
Bame ghurben.	Turn left.
Shoja jaaben, tarpor dane ghurben.	Go straight, then turn right.

Drill 3: Distance and Time

Bengali	English
Ekhane theke koto dur?	How far from here?
Panch minute hote pare.	It may take five minutes.
Koto dur achhe?	How far is it?
Kachhe achhe.	It is nearby.

Drill 4: Giving Directions

Instruction	Response
Kemon kore jabo?	Shoja jaaben, tarpor bame ekta rasta paben.
Kon dike?	Hospital-er dike jaaben.
Koto dur?	Dush minute hote pare.
Kothay achhe?	Bame building-er pashe achhe.

Narrative

Apni jodi embassy-te jaan, toh shoja jaaben. Ekhane theke panch minute. Rasta-te shoja cholun. Tarpor dane ghurben. Dane ekta boro building achhe. Shei building-er pashe embassy achhe. Bus stop embassy-er kachhe achhe. Apni bus diye o jete paren. Ekhane theke koto dur? Na, khub kachhe. Dush minute cholle paben.

If you want to go to the embassy, go straight. It is five minutes from here. Walk straight on the road. Then turn right. There is a big building on the right. The embassy is next to that building. The bus stop is near the embassy. You can go by bus too. How far from here? No, very close. You will reach in ten minutes if you walk.