🗺️📱➡️⬅️↩️

How to Say ‘The navigation said to turn left.’ in Simplified Chinese

导航是让左转的。

dǎo háng shì ràng zuǒ zhuǎn de

[dǎoháng shì ràng dzwo-jwan de]

💬 Usage Tip: 是…的 wrapped around an action stresses that this was the case. Here it means "the app did say left." 让 here means "tell (someone) to".

Phrase Breakdown

导航

dǎo háng

[dǎoháng]

navigation; GPS

A navigation app or device giving directions.

Example

打开导航看看。

Open the navigation and take a look.

是让左转的。

shì ràng zuǒ zhuǎn de

says to turn left

让 (ràng) means 'tells (you) to', and 左转 (zuǒ zhuǎn) means 'turn left'. The 是…的 pattern stresses the fact.

Example

这里是让右转的。

Here it says to turn right.

Words in this phrase

是

shì

[shì]

(emphasis) indeed

是…的 emphasizes a fact.

Example

他是同意的。

He did agree.

让

ràng

[ràng]

allow, let

Used to give permission or suggest an action.

Example

让我见识一下你的能力。

Let me see your ability.

左转

zuǒ zhuǎn

[dzwo-jwan]

turn left

A direction used when telling someone to go to the left.

Example

到路口以后左转。

Turn left after reaching the intersection.

的

[de]

(emphasis particle)

Ends the 是…的 emphatic pattern.

Example

我是坐地铁来的。

I came by subway.

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