Directions and Orientation in Bengali



Lesson Objective:


By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to understand and give basic directions in Bengali and orient themselves using common landmarks and expressions.



Vocabulary List:



  • রাস্তা (rasta) – Road

  • বামে (bame) – To the left

  • ডানে (dane) – To the right

  • সোজা (shoja) – Straight ahead

  • কাছাকাছি (kachakachi) – Nearby/close

  • দূরে (dure) – Far

  • কোণায় (konay) – At the corner

  • ফিরে যান (phire jan) – Go back

  • একটু সামনে (ektu shamne) – A little ahead

  • এখানে (ekhane) – Here

  • ওখানে (okhane) – There



Grammar Point:


In Bengali, directions are often given using imperative verbs for instructions. The polite form is most commonly used when asking or giving directions.


Examples:



  • সোজা যান (shoja jan) – Go straight

  • বামে মোড় নিন (bame mor nin) – Take a left turn

  • ডানে যান (dane jan) – Go right

  • আপনি কি বলতে পারেন...? (apni ki bolte paren...?) – Can you tell me...?


Note that verbs change based on the level of formality. For politeness, the ending 'ন' (e.g., 'যান') is used.



Exercises:



Reading Comprehension:


Dialogue:


Ravi: দয়া করে বলবেন, রেল স্টেশনটি কোথায়?


Vendor: সোজা যান এবং প্রথম মোড় থেকে ডানে বাঁক নিন।


Ravi: ধন্যবাদ।


Translation:


Ravi: Could you please tell me where the train station is?


Vendor: Go straight and turn right at the first corner.


Ravi: Thank you.


Question: Where is the train station according to the conversation?



Listening Comprehension:


Listen to a short audio clip where someone gives directions to a post office. Identify the following:



  • Landmarks mentioned

  • The number of turns taken

  • Which direction to turn at the park


(Note: In a real course, audio would accompany this task; for now, use a teacher’s verbal instruction.)



Speaking Practice:


Pair up with a classmate and practice the following dialogue:


Person A: Ask how to get to the nearest hospital.


Person B: Give directions using at least three vocabulary words from the list above.


Optional: Switch roles and practice again with a different destination, such as the library or the bank.



Summary:



  • We learned the most common Bengali vocabulary related to directions and location.

  • We explored the polite imperative form of common directional verbs.

  • We practiced reading and understanding real-world direction dialogues.

  • We began to develop the ability to speak and ask for locations in Bengali.



Homework:



  • Write a short dialogue (5-6 lines) in English where two people talk about how to reach a museum. Translate it into Bengali using vocabulary from today’s lesson.

  • Find pictures of common landmarks (hospital, park, temple, bridge) and add Bengali labels to them using online tools or by hand.

  • Learn five additional location-related words in Bengali and memorize their pronunciation.