公園の方に足を向けた。ーーーーーーーーー

Sentence Discussions Japanese
#1

公園【こうえん】の方【ほう】に足【あし】を向【む】けた。

方【ほう】or 方【かた】？

#2
English Translation

I walked toward the park.

In this case, ほう (direction; way; side; area (in a particular direction). The audio is incorrect.

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#3
English Translation

I walked toward the park.

I’m wondering what’s the difference between 向ける、向く、向かう？

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#4

@ericaw A native speaker here.

  1. 向ける is a transitive verb – (私は) 足を向けた = Lit. “I made my legs moved in a certain direction”. In this case, you made your own legs moved. But you can use 向ける for someone else’s things as well. Another useful phrase would be 世論は批判の矛先をマスコミに向けた (Yoron wa hihan no hokosaki wo masukomi ni muketa) = People criticized the mass media. (Lit. The citizens threw their criticisms toward the mass media.) People/ordinary citizens are the doer. Criticisms are the object. 矛先 literally means “the point of the sword”.

  2. 向く (to face in a certain direction) is an intransitive verb – 私は上を向いた = “I looked up”. There is no object followed by the verb.

  3. 向かう (to head to) is also an intransitive verb – 私は東に向かっていた = “I was heading to the East”. 向かう requires not only changing the direction, but also changing the current position (from location A to location B).

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#5
English Translation

I walked toward the park.

世論は批判の矛先をマスコミに向けた , a useful phrase indeed. I would like the citizens to throw their criticisms (or sword points) at the mass media!

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